KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) and Lulu International Group are partnering to promote Malaysian palm oil-based products at Lulu Hypermarkets in Dubai.
Both parties have entered into a partnership via a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed during the opening of the Sustainable Agricommodities (Food Agricommodities) Week at the Malaysia Pavilion in Expo 2020 Dubai.
The MoU was exchanged between MPOC Board of Trustees member Jamil Haron and Lulu Group International chief operating officer Abdul Salem VI, witnessed by Plantation Industries and Commodities Deputy Minister Datuk Willie Mongin.
MPOC's global consumer campaign - the Malaysian Palm Oil Full of Goodness - was also launched at the Lulu Hypermarket at Silicon Oasis today.
The three-month collaborative effort aimed to promote palm oil products by Malaysian manufacturers whereby Lulu Hypermarket would directly source the products from participating Malaysian manufacturers for promotion at selected Lulu outlets.
MPOC chief executive officer Wan Aishah Wan Hamid said the promotion campaign extends the council's activities to promote and spread awareness on Malaysia's sustainable palm oil at Expo 2020 Dubai.
"We are happy to partner with Lulu International Group, which is a major retail chain in Asia and the Middle East, in this endeavour to promote Malaysia's sustainable palm oil," she said in a statement today.
MPOC, together with the Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry, is spearheading Malaysia's week-long trade and business programme, Sustainable Agricommodities (Food Agricommodities) Week, at the world expo from February 7th – February 12th, 2022.
The programme highlighted Malaysia's commodities of palm oil, pepper and cocoa.
Meanwhile, MPOC would also showcase the Malaysian Palm Oil industry's sustainable initiatives and management.
Both aspects are vital in ensuring that palm oil remains the main pillar of the domestic economy and a globally accepted food source.
The initiatives included a mandatory certification scheme, regulatory guidelines, good agricultural practices, and technology development by the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors of the industry.
"The concept of 'Sustainable Agri-commodity' further provides a strong platform for Malaysia in expanding the global market for palm oil exports.
"The sector has contributed significantly in providing a continuous inflow of earnings through the export of the raw commodity and value-added products," said Wan Aishah.
In 2021, palm oil exports earned US$24.6 billion (RM102.3 billion) for Malaysia, while the country's palm oil exports recorded at 15.56 million tonnes during the year.
Malaysia's palm oil production stood at 18.14 million tonnes, accounting for 24 per cent of the world's palm oil production and 31 per cent of exports.
Malaysian palm oil and palm oil products exported to the Middle East amounted to 2.4 million tonnes, with a value of US$1.7 billion.
The United Arab Emirates took up 10 per cent of the total palm oil and palm oil products exported to this region, valued at US$192 million.
The estimated export value of palm oil and palm oil products to the Middle East in 2021 was US$2.5 billion.
This was primarily used in the industrial frying sector, margarine, vanaspati manufacturing, and ingredients for bakery and confectionery products.