CPO production projected to increase

PETALING JAYA: The plantation sector will likely see the impact of the hot and dry weather spell more towards the later part of 2024, but total production of the year will likely be higher year-on-year (y-o-y), helped greatly by the availability of adequate supply of labour to the sector.

Datuk Dr Ahmad Parveez Ghulam Kadir, director-general of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), told Starbiz the heat spell driven by the El Nino phenomenon became severe in the fourth quarter of last year (4Q23) and extended into 1Q24, adding that the impact of the weather phenomenon on oil palm yield is not immediate.