10/04/2017 (The Star Online) - KUALA LUMPUR: Although China’s soyabean oil and rapeseed oil consumption has dragged down palm oil imports from Malaysia for the past few months, it will not last long as demand for the edible oil is set to rebound.

Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) chief executive officer Dr Kalyana Sundram (pic) said he was upbeat of a surge in China’s palm oil imports, especially from the coastal and Inner regions, backed by promotional activities and outreach activities in the country.

“Much of the palm oil are now not reaching the coastal and the Inner regions which still have a large population because of the logistics problems,” he told Bernama.

Kalyana said to facilitate this, MPOC plans to undertake more promotional activities in China.

“We are trying to put together promotional avenue in order for palm oil to reach out to the Inner regions,” he said.

In addition to this, Kalyana said, MPOC is working with the local Chinese wood manufacturers, entrepreneurs and non-food industry to do this.

“It is going to be a year-long task. Maybe, it will take several years but these are some of the promotional activities we need to do in order to increase Malaysian uptake palm oil in China. We would be happy with between 5.5 and six million tonnes of palm oil going to China. It would be a strong possibility if we do all the promotional work then that could be achieved,” he said. — Bernama.