15/09/2012 (Bernama) - The Malaysian government appreciates the French government's commitment to tackle palm oil issues by agreeing to form a working group between the two nations.

Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok said the French government has agreed to form a working group for the oil palm industry to oversee its nutritional contents and sustainable development.

"The working group will be formed soon to understand the issues and plan appropriate actions that can be taken to resolve the issues related to palm oil," he told Bernama Friday.

Dompok, who is on a palm oil promotion mission to France and Romania, held a bilateral meeting with the French Minister for Agriculture, Food, Industry and Forest, Stephane Le Foll.

The Minister said palm oil was one of the major oils in the global oils and fats market.

"In 2011, a total of 50.1 million tonnes of palm oil were produced globally which represent 34.3 per cent of the world's production of eight major oils, namely palm oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, palm kernel oil, cottonseed oil, groundnut oil and coconut oil," he said.

Being the second largest producer and major exporter of palm oil, Dompok said Malaysia produced 18.9 million tonnes palm oil and exported close to 17.9 million tonnes to the world's oils and fats market.

"The reliability, consistency and quality of Malaysian palm oil have become a global benchmark and gained preference among international buyers, including those from France," he said.

He said the Malaysian oil palm industry has been carrying out sustainable practices for many years to ensure that the environment and biodiversity within plantations remain unharmed due to cultivation of the crop.

"Malaysia's oil palm industry is one of the most highly regulated industries of the modern agricultural systems, being governed by more than 60 laws and regulations," he added.