By Hanim Adnan  (31 Dec 2011,  StarBiz)

Analysts and industry players, however, are generally bullish on commodities despite global uncertainties

For CPO, its price should remain within a comfortable zone if the strong 2012 price projections by LMC International Ltd chairman Dr James Fry (at RM2,900 per tonne) and Godrej Industries Ltd director Dorab Mistry (RM3,300-RM4,000) materialise.Expecting support via continued demand from India and China, as well as the biofuel usage in Europe, market analysts have projected an average CPO price of RM3,500 per tonne in 2012. The 2011 average was RM3,280.

Market players are expecting next year's opening palm oil stocks to be lower at below two million tonnes from 2.2 million, while production is targeted at 19.5 million tonnes from 18.8 million.The export earnings from palm products in 2012 are also expected to hit a record of over RM80bil, given the growing optimism that palm oil will be replacing other major oilseeds like rapeseed and sunflower, which are currently being used for biofuels in the Western countries.

Malaysian Palm Oil Association chief executive officer Datuk Mamat Salleh says issues such as foreign labour, tax and subsidy, Indonesia's  CPO export tax regime, palm oil sustainability, and sustainability certification scheme as well as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will be major considerations for the local players.

by Hanim Adnan  (22 Nov 2011, The Star)

Kota Kinabalu TODAY marks the start of the three-day Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) annual meeting (RT 9) in the beautiful city of Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, the land below the wind.RT 9 is believed to be the largest sustainable palm oil gathering in the world to date, pooling seven RSPO multi-stakeholder segments producers, retailers/consumers, NGOs, and etc. Last year's RT 8 attracted over 800 delegates from 30 countries.

Malaysian palm oil growers, to be represented by the Malaysian Palm Oil Association (MPOA), have deep interest in the RT 9. Armed with a barrage of complaints and grouses, they will present their case to the RSPO executive board.

Given the absence of MPOA's counterpart, the Indonesian Oil Palm Association (GAPKI), which exited the RSPO in September, the Malaysians particularly will want to highlight their agenda.GAPKI had left citing its intention to focus on its own mandatory standard, the Indonesia Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO).

For RT 9, MPOA chief executive officer Datuk Mamat Salleh has highlighted some of the salient points which warrant serious attention from the RSPO executive board.

“ ….The palm oil industry is a strategic industry which last year contributed about RM70 billion in export earnings providing employment and other multiplier effects to the economy. By 2020, the targeted GNI for the sector is about RM178 billion and 95% of  RM125 billion investment requirement is expected from the private sector. A challenging expectation indeed.Thus, in a manner of speaking we are indeed a “goose that lay the golden eggs”  and the goose has to remain healthy and productive and thus, it needs care, good food and a healthy environment to continue to perform and deliver ‘well’.

MPOA  has submitted a memorandum to the Government on some of these topics including the Windfall Profit Levy, the Sales Tax and the Property Assessment Tax, the Cooking Oil Subsidiary Scheme (COSS), Labour Shortage, R&D Assistance and the Sustainability and Sustainable Palm Oil (SPO) issues. These are necessary to defend and ensure the palm oil industry of Malaysia to be competitive and of high productivity.

We hope the engagement between MPOA and the authorities and stakeholders will continue and some of these topics will come to some helpful conclusions for the industry especially on labour and the windfall tax since we are the most taxed industry at effectively at about 46%. Labor issue is critical to sustain our competitiveness via productivity. And tax support will release maximum funds for reinvestment into value add and efficiency….”

Utusan Malaysia ( 10 Oct 2011)

Kuala Lumpur 10 Oct – The government  is  targeting the Malaysian Palm oil Industry to contribute a total of  RM 178 billion  towards the Gross national Income (GNI)  by 2020. In this connection, the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, does not want the palm oil industry to be trapped in producing only semi processed palm oil products……

He made the statement in his speech to the Malaysian Palm Oil Association (MPOA) Dinner at Hotel Grand Dorsett, Subang Jaya. The Deputy Minister of Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities, Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin and the chairman of MPOA Datuk Abd Wahab Maskan were also present. 

Four prominent personalities in the industry were given the MPOA Recognition Awards, namely, the Executive Chairman of IOI Corporation Bhd., Tan Sri Lee Shin Cheng; the former chairman of MPOA, Tan Sri Dr. Mohd. Noor Ismail; the President Felda Global Group, Datuk Sabri Ahmad and a Special Recognition Award was bestowed on Tun Dr. Lim Keng Yaik.