Cap on oil palm estates proposed

Green move: Kok speaking at the Palm and Lauric Oils Price Outlook Conference and Exhibition in Kuala Lumpur. She said the move to limit the area for oil palm plantations ‘was made in order to dismiss accusations that oil palm plantations are the reason for deforestation.’ — Bloomberg

KUALA LUMPUR: The Primary Industries Ministry will be presenting a proposal to the Cabinet this month to cap the maximum area for oil palm plantations at about 6.5 million hectares (ha), up from the 5.85 million ha as at end-2018.

Minister Teresa Kok said this was expected to be achieved by 2023 based on the average annual expansion of plantations from 2013 to 2018.