KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is on track to exceed its palm oil production target for 2026, following encouraging production performance, said Minister of Plantation and Commodities Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad.
She said positive developments in the industry, coupled with aggressive marketing strategies, provided confidence that this year’s performance would at least match or surpass last year’s achievement.
"Production is currently in line with what we have been focusing on, and we are targeting an increase.
"We have another two months, and I am looking at production positively. Insya-Allah, with the aggressive marketing efforts being carried out by the industry, we (can) at least be on par with or perform better than last year,” she told reporters after officiating the Malaysian Palm Oil Forum (MPOF) Kuala Lumpur 2026 here today.
Noraini also said the ministry, through the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) and the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), are implementing several initiatives to help market Malaysian palm oil products in international markets.
Malaysia's total palm oil production for 2026 is projected to range between 19.5 million and 19.8 million tonnes. For the past seven months, Malaysia has produced 10.8 million tonnes of palm oil.
Meanwhile, Noraini said the government would continue to encourage the development of the palm oil-based biomass industry, although it had not set a specific percentage target for the commercialisation of biomass.
"I encourage our industry players, researchers and investors to explore these (biomass) opportunities together. If we do this well, biomass can provide additional income to the industry while supporting Malaysia’s wider goals in renewable energy and better utilisation of resources,” she added. - Bernama
