10/06/2010 (Bernama), Kota Kinabalu - Palmex Malaysia 2010, touted as Malaysia's largest palm oil technology expo, is expecting to gather over 5,000 industry professionals who will address the strategic, operational and technology aspects of Sabah and Asean's palm oil industry.

The three-day exhibition and conference from July 29-31 to be held at Sabah Trade Centre, will highlight lucrative business opportunities in Malaysia's palm oil sector.

With more than 85 per cent occupancy sold to confirmed exhibitors from Austria, Belgium, China Germany, Indonesia, South Korea, Sweden, Turkey and Malaysia itself, the conference on the first day will also attract participation from related groups such as policy makers and researchers, said managing director of Fireworks Sdn Bhd Jerel Soo during a press conference here, Thursday.

The state Ministry of Industrial Development (MID) is working with Fireworks, the Kuala Lumpur-based exhibition specialist to organise the event, which is specially tailored for both upstream and downstream palm oil companies in the region.

POIC Sabah Sdn Bhd, a state-owned company under MID, will be organising the conference on the first day where five papers will be presented, said POIC Sabah chief executive officer Dr Pang Teck Wai.

"The organising of the expo is hoped to provide a platform for local players and international oil palm players to initiate some kind of arrangements to develop these high potential down stream activities in Sabah," Dr Pang said.

Palmex Malaysia is held annually in Sabah, which is Malaysia's largest producer of palm oil with 100 mills producing close to five million tonnes of palm oil kernel, accounting for 35 per cent of the country's palm oil.