Allocation under 10th Malaysia Plan is to boost country’s output

19/06/2009 (The Star Online), Bangi - The Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry wants a bigger allocation for palm oil-related research and development (R&D) programmes under the 10th Malaysia Plan to be tabled in Parliament next year.

Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok said the ministry needed a larger fund to develop new innovations and technologies to boost the country’s palm oil output.

“Research is paramount. The land for palm oil cultivation has almost reached saturation point and there’s not much land left that we can utilise.

“We aim to increase the production of fresh fruit bunches per hectare through the adoption of new technologies,” he said after opening the Malaysian Palm Oil Board’s (MPOB) Transfer of Technology Seminar yesterday.

Last year, the planted area for oil palm recorded a robust growth of 4.49 million hectares, producing 17.73 million tonnes of crude palm oil and generating RM65.19bil in export income.

Under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, about RM117mil was allocated to the ministry for R&D. To date, MPOB has launched 441 technologies and 85 services, including the 29 new technologies and 16 services introduced for commercialisation and adoption by the industry yesterday.

MPOB has commercialised 84 or 20.4% of the technologies.

Meanwhile, MPOB yesterday launched its integrated pilot plants in Bangi which incorporate integrated facilities to produce biodiesel, phytonutrients and other value-added products.

MPOB, together with Green Ocean Corp Bhd, also launched a premium palm cooking oil brand Novelin aimed at East Asian markets including China, South Korea and Japan.

Yesterday also saw a joint-venture agreement signed between MPOB and I-NAI Venture Holdings Sdn Bhd to develop palm-based polyols into decorative wall panels.

Another joint-venture agreement for the production of methyl ester ethoxyltes was signed between MPOB and Emery Oleochemicals (M) Sdn Bhd.

MPOB is also collaborating with Hur Far Engineering Works Sdn Bhd for the manufacture of palm-based bio-fertiliser.