KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 (NNN-BERNAMA) —\u00a0Malaysia and other palm oil-producing nations must not stay silent nor hesitate to take countermeasures if importing countries choose to impose discriminatory trade barriers, said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“If there is any evidence that such discriminatory trade practices are in violation of any international laws, Malaysia and other producing countries under the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) must seek intervention from the World Trade Organization,” he said at the Malaysian Palm Oil Board\u2019s International Palm Oil Congress and Exhibition (MPOB PIPOC) 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr Mahathir said that Malaysia and other palm oil-producing nations are stepping up efforts to disseminate accurate information about sustainable oil palm plantations and to counter false allegations concerning palm oil with credible facts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, he said that despite the reversal in tax breaks on palm oil by the French government, Malaysia still continues to\u00a0receive\u00a0demands\u00a0for palm oil from that\u00a0country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last Friday, French lawmakers voted to remove the tax breaks for the use of palm oil as a biofuel following protests from environmentalists on its decision to use the crop as a biofuel a day earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moving forward, Dr Mahathir said the palm oil industry must adopt and equip itself with the latest technologies and innovations to remain competitive and relevant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNew technologies that are incorporated into the entire value chain should be the catalyst for modernisation of the whole industry, making it more productive and efficient while enhancing growth and value addition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is important for the industry to move towards mechanisation and capitalise on the technological pillars of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0) , which not only enhances the overall operational efficiency of the industry but also result in sustainable development, where precision operation is evident in the form of reduced labour inputs and improved productivity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the promotion of sustainable palm oil, he said the country will continue to push for the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) as Malaysia\u2019s brand of sustainability and for it to be internationally recognised and accepted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is very important for our palm oil industry, including our smallholders, to practice good agriculture and to ensure a sustainable industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTo assist the smallholders, I have mandated a government-linked company to work closely with smallholders in an effort to increase the adoption of MSPO certification as part of the company\u2019s sustainable supply chain,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr Mahathir said he would also encourage other major industry players to assume their corporate responsibility by assisting the smallholders to achieve MSPO certification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As at October 2019, 60 per cent of Malaysia\u2019s total oil palm cultivated areas and 72.6 per cent of the total 448 mills are MSPO-certified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Themed \u201cBalancing Sustainability Pillars\u201d, PIPOC 2019 focuses on the latest research and sustainable practices to develop a sustainable global palm oil industry in the face of continuous negative allegations raised by anti-palm oil campaigners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
— NNN-BERNAMA<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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