KOTA KINABALU: Some 80% of palm oil businesses in Sabah have obtained Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification, said Datuk Chan Foong Hin.
The Plantation and Commodities Deputy Minister however said that this was still below the nationwide rate, which currently stands at 92.42%.
“I hope with good cooperation between the ministry and the Sabah Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), the palm oil industry in the state can achieve full MSPO certification status to ensure the good reputation of Malaysia-made palm oil products on the international stage,” he said.
Chan said in a Facebook post on Thursday (Jan 11) that he had paid a working visit to the Sabah MPOB office last Friday (Jan 5) and was briefed on the latest situation in the palm oil industry in the state.
As the nation’s largest crude palm oil (CPO) producer, he said, Sabah contributed significantly to the state’s income through the collection of sales tax on CPO.
As of Dec 31 last year, he added, Sabah has some 1.63 million hectares of land for oil palm plantation, involving 33,074 estates and smallholders.
“Among them is the Sandakan district which has the most land coverage and is also the highest contributor for palm oil export which is 2.11 million metric tonnes as of last December.
“Hence, it is important for us to ensure the development of the palm oil industry in Sabah to be competitive at the global level and sustainable holistically so that our products are accepted internationally,” Chan said.
