KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 19 (Bernama) -- The cooperation between Malaysia andIndia in the palm oil sector will receive a boost with the arrival hereWednesday of a 24-member delegation from the Solvent Extractors'Association of India (SEA).

The delegation is here to explore the possibilities of technology transferand joint ventures in palm cultivation and processing.

Among the Malaysian authorities involved in the collaborative efforts withthe Indian palm oil industry participant are the Malaysian Palm OilPromotion Council (MPOPC), the Ministry of Primary Industries, MalaysianPalm Oil Board (MPOB), Malaysia Palm Oil Association and the MalaysiaDerivatives Exchange (MDEX).

As part of its schedule, the delegation will meet up with top palm oilindustry officials in the country including the chief executive of MPOPC,Datuk Haron Siraj, chairman of Palm Oil Refiners Association of Malaysia(PORAM), Toh Pang Huat, MPOPC's director, market promotions Dr AhmadIbrahim and MPOPC's head of marketing, Faudzy Asrafudeen Sayed Mohamed.

The delegation will also meet Minister of Primary Industries Datuk Dr LimKeng Yaik.

The delegation, which is being led by SEA president, Bipin V.Patel and itsimmediate past president, Sandeep Bajoria, also plans to study theMalaysian palm oil industry works including its palm plantations, palm oilprocessing units, palm oil tank farms, and bio diesel plant.

During the four-day visit, the delegation also expects to furtherunderstand the Malaysian palm oil supply situation and price behaviour andexplore the possibility of importing palm kernel cake for processing inIndia.

The delegation comprises members of the association from all parts ofIndia, representing palm oil processors (refiners), vanaspati(hydrogenated vegetable oil) manufacturers, solvent extractors, palm oilkernel processors, cattle feed manufacturers, edible oil importers,international commodity traders, brokers and indenters and technocratsrepresenting a wide spectrum of the Indian vegetable oil industry.

About 42 percent of oils and fats in India are imported as its localproduction is not sufficient for domestic requirement.

The country's edible oil import figure in 2000/2001 was 4,833,808 tonnes,up 7.5 percent from 4,494,953 tonnes in the previous year.

As of October 2001, India imported 5.1 million tonnes of oils and fatswith palm oil and soya bean oil accounting for almost 60 percent of theimport.

Palm oil is still the major oil imported by India and almost 50 percent ofthe import is from Malaysia.

-- BERNAMA