KUALA LUMPUR: The implementation of the palm oil smallholder cluster model is expected to contribute to the nearly nine million fresh fruit bunches (FFB) and 1.8 million tonnes of crude palm oil for every 10,000 hectares of palm oil plantations, said Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani (pix).
He said his ministry is working to unite all independent oil palm smallholders to form a larger cluster to further increase the country’s oil palm production.
“For example, if each independent smallholder has four hectares, we gather them all into a cluster in one area and (if) we can reach 10,000 hectares, then we can apply good plantation management practice so that the yield of each hectare can increase,” he said while wrapping up the debate on the motion of thanks for the royal address in the Dewan Negara today.
Johari was responding to Senator Tan Sri Mohamad Fatmi Che Salleh regarding the opening of new plantations to increase the country’s oil palm yield.
He said the ministry has also emphasised the importance of a replanting programme when a tree reaches 25 years of age as practised by the private sector.
Johari also noted that Malaysia does not have enough land to explore new plantation sites.
“We have no land, we only have 5.7 million hectares for palm oil… We are faced with a standard guideline which is imposed on countries that produce ‘edible oil’, which is that any palm oil intended for export must come from land that has been forested before 2020.
“If not, we will be considered as a country that does not take into account the issue of deforestation and it interferes with the export of palm oil abroad,” he said.
The Dewan Negara proceedings continue on Monday (April 1, 2024). –Bernama