KUALA LUMPUR: Palm oil and rubber industries are long time major contributors to Malaysia’s gross national income (GNI).
When the National Transformation Programme (NTP) was introduced in 2010, Malaysia's oil palm area totalled 4.8 million hectares, producing 17 million tonnes of crude palm oil (CPO).
As at December 2017, the country's oil palm tree area expanded to 5.8 million hectares and CPO output to 19.9 million tonnes, according to the NTP 2017 Annual Report.
In raising productivity, it is necessary to chop old trees and replant with higher yielding seedlings.
Since 2010 to 2017, replanting and new plantings of oil palms were carried out in 126,293ha across the nation.
As for the rubber sector which is predominantly worked on by small farmers, a total of 215,634ha had been replanted with higher latex yielding clones supplied by the Malaysian Rubber Board.
When palm fruits are steam pressed at the mills for its oil, the by-product is palm oil mill effluent (POME).
This sludge-like POME is then channelled into biogas plants to produce clean energy and organic fertiliser.
Last year, five new biogas plants were completed and the electricity generated light up rural villages that are located far away from the national power grid.
In championing green oleo-chemicals, the government had, last year, channelled RM2.68 million in developing high value oleo-derivatives.
The government had also spent RM11.86 million towards human trials on the medical benefits of palm oil vitamin E and other phyto-nutrients.
In 2017, the National Transformation Programme showed the government allocated RM29.14 million to research into and develop health food and nutrient-enriched animal feed.
Malaysia's palm oil industry is developed on a balanced needs of People, Planet and Profits.
The government has established the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification that carries this promise.
As at December last year, a total of 296,007ha had been MSPO-certified.