Offered R&D Services To India For It’s National Palm Oil Mission: Malaysian Minister

Malaysian Minister of Plantation and Commodities, Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, on Thursday met his Indian counterpart Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Minister of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare at a G2G meeting and supported India’s efforts to become “Atmanirbhar” in its edible oil security goals.

Speaking at a press meet held in New Delhi, Minister Johari said, “Malaysia stands ready to provide invaluable support, encouraging the growth of oil palm cultivation. India’s importance to Malaysia’s oil palm sector cannot be understated. Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and I have envisioned a partnership that benefits both our nations. This partnership will also meaningfully contribute towards achieving global food security needs and sustainability goals.”

The central government launched the National Mission for Edible Oils - Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) in August 2021. The mission is committed to escalating oil palm cultivation and elevating Crude Palm Oil production to 11.20 lakh tonne by 2025-26. It was designed to promote oil palm in new geographies, providing end-to-end support to farmers in terms of assistance in planting material, assured buyback from private players involved, and protecting the farmers from the global price volatility.

On the concerns of environmentalists over the links of Palm oil to deforestation Johari said, “Every Palm oil Malaysia exports is sustainable and no new land has been allocated for the plantation of Palm oil. Malaysia is deeply committed to sustainable palm oil production, adhering to stringent environmental standards and sustainable practices. The Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification scheme ensures that palm oil is produced sustainably, safeguarding forests, biodiversity, and local communities." 

Palm oil stands out as one of the most efficient edible oils in terms of productivity and land use. Globally, oil palm trees occupy less than 8 per cent of the total land area dedicated to all crops, yet they contribute 32 per cent to major seed oil production. 

Amid mounting global concerns about climate change and deforestation, palm oil is uniquely positioned to efficiently meet the rising global demand for edible oils, according to the Official Statement.

Due to its many uses in the food and non-food sectors, palm oil is the most consumed edible oil in India and makes up roughly 36 per cent of total oils and fats consumed in the country. India has been the largest buyer of Malaysian palm oil for over 14 years. 

The per capita consumption of oils and fats in India has risen from 15.8 kg to 19 kg in the last decade. This increase represents an additional consumption of 7.34 million metric tonne.