MUKAH, April 10 (Bernama) -- Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said there are plans to construct four more crude palm oil (CPO) mills in Mukah soon, in addition to the current one in operation.

Currently, he said there were about 80,000 hectares of oil palm plantation in Mukah and efforts were underway to plant the commodity on a larger scale.

The chief minister said there was a need for Mukah to have its own CPO refinery as the oil palm harvest over the next few years could reach more than 25 million tonnes.

"This means the town will one day be a manufacturer of palm oil by-products such as soap, detergents and cooking oil," he said when launching the construction of a new commercial area developed by the Land Custody and Development Authority (LCDA) at the Setia Raja Boulevard, here Monday.

Abdul Taib said Mukah with its vast hinterland stretching from Balingian to Kuala Rajang has vast potential for crop cultivation.

Besides oil palm, Mukah is also well known for its sago plantation and currently there are about 36,000 hectares dedicated to the crop.

He said a group of Japanese investors had called on him recently to seek the state government's cooperation in producing low calorie sugar, anti-biotics and pharmaceutical products from the crop.

Abdul Taib also said that there were investors who had expressed their willingness to plant pineapple commercially on a 10,000-ha in Oya.

-- BERNAMA