26/06/2009 (CRIENGLISH.com) - Indonesia is scheduled to host the International Oil Palm Conference (IOPC) in Yogyakarta from June 1 to 3 next year, the conference organizer chairman said here on Wednesday.

Witjaksana Dharmosarkoro, head of the Medan-based Indonesian Oil Palm Research Institution (IOPRI), an institution that will organize the conference, said that the conference is part of efforts to make Indonesia as the reference of oil palm price in the global market.

"With more than 7 million hectares of oil palm plantations and a total production of 18 million tons a year, the largest in the world, Indonesia is supposed to be the reference of the world's oil palm trading, plantation and production technology," Witjaksana said.

The efforts to make Indonesia the center of oil palm price reference were conducted through holding international events,

"Previously Indonesia had hosted IOPC in 1998, 2002 and 2006 in Bali," Witjaksana said, adding that the conference is held once every four years.

With the global Crude Palm Oil (CPO) production estimated to reach 22 million tons in 2010, he said Indonesian oil palm industry is facing a problem to cope with estimation as the El Nino phenomenon is overwhelming the country at the moment.

"The El Nino phenomenon would likely reduce Indonesian CPO production," he said.

Witjaksana explained that from the annual production, Indonesian domestic market takes 4.4 million tons, meanwhile remaining larger part of production were exported for foreign markets.

Delegations from 15 countries had confirmed their eagerness to attend the conference that is expected to be attended by more than 700 participants.

A member of the steering committee, Yohannes Samosir, said that oil palm experts from Indonesia, Malaysia, Africa, Europe and South America will present at the conference to deliver their knowledge and share their expertise in oil palm industry.