06/09/2012 (Bernama) - The plantation and commodity sector offers many job opportunities for graduates especially as researchers, said Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok.

He said at the ministry level alone, research officers were in high demand as only 30 per cent of vacant posts had been filled so far.

"Hence, employment opportunities for graduates as researchers whether in the public or the private sector are great," he said when addressing Universiti Putra Malaysia students here last night.

On the commodity sector, he said in terms of productivity, although Malaysia was still ahead of competitor countries, it still needed to intensify innovative measures to enhance its competitiveness.

He said Malaysia was the world's biggest rubber glove exporter; world's biggest palm oil exporter; world's third biggest natural rubber producer; Asia-Pacific's biggest cocoa grinder, world's fifth biggest pepper producer; and world's eighth largest furniture exporter.