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Last Updated: 29 February 2024

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KUALA LUMPUR: Plantation and commodities minister Johari Ghani says manual labour is still required to harvest oil palm fruits, as machine-based technology for such purposes has yet to be developed.

Johari said this was why the palm oil industry is heavily dependent on foreign workers for harvesting and collection, with nearly half of the workforce dedicated to this process.

“It (harvesting) still requires manual labour. We have many (manual) tools for harvesting the fruit but this requires the expertise of skilled workers,” he told the Dewan Rakyat today.

However, he said mechanisation was feasible for other tasks in the industry, such as the application of fertiliser and pesticides.

Johari was responding to a supplementary question from Idris Ahmad (PN-Bagan Serai) on whether the ministry plans to mitigate the shortage of workers in the palm oil industry through technological advancements.

Last month, he announced that only the plantation sector would be permitted to hire foreign workers, a decision conveyed to him by home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail after Saifuddin’s meeting with human resources minister Steven Sim on Jan 16.

Johari had said that the industry was facing a shortage of 40,000 workers.

To address the industry’s need for foreign workers, Johari said the ministry had introduced technical and vocational education and training aimed at training locals to become harvesters.

“We have identified 60 people to enrol in this course, scheduled to commence in April and conclude in September. Hopefully, they can focus on the intricacies of harvesting these fruits,” he said in the Dewan Rakyat.

“And when this expertise is acquired, we can encourage more people to engage in harvesting oil palm fruits.”

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2024/02/28/manual-labour-still-required-for-oil-palm-harvesting-says-johari/

Sumber : Free Malaysia Today

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Last Updated: 31 May 2024

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KUALA LUMPUR (May 30): To achieve its net zero emissions goal by 2050, Malayan Banking Bhd (KL:MAYBANK) has identified interim decarbonisation targets for the bank’s palm oil and power portfolios.

The whitepaper, entitled “Banking on a better tomorrow: Our commitment to net zero”, serves as the bank’s primary instrument to publicly communicate its commitments to sustainable growth, Maybank president and chief executive officer Datuk Khairussaleh Ramli said in a statement on Thursday.

Maybank aims to reduce financed emissions intensity for its palm oil portfolio from a June 2023 baseline of 1.47 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per tonne of crude palm oil (tCO2e/tCPO) produced to 1.40 tCO2e/tCPO by 2030.

“This (the 2023 baseline) is well below the reference scenario of 2.04 tCO2e/tCPO. This significant achievement is guided by an integrated reference scenario that combines the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) Flag pathway, tailored for palm oil, with the Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS) REMIND, which accounts for methane emissions from palm oil milling,” the statement read.

As for the power sector, Maybank has targeted to reduce its financing power emissions intensity from a June 2023 baseline of 442 kg carbon dioxide equivalent per megawatt-hour (kgCO2e/MWh) to 272 kgCO2e/MWh by 2030, based on the regionalised International Energy Agency Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario (IEA NZE 2050) reference pathway.

Its power emissions intensity baseline of 442 kgCO2e/MWh is already below the regional benchmark of 573 kgCO2e/MWh, which represents the average level of carbon emissions from power generation in the region.

No financing to greenfield coal-fired power plants

Meanwhile, the bank said it will continue to enforce its coal policy, whereby no financing will be extended to new greenfield coal-fired power plants and borrowers who derive a material amount of annual revenue from thermal coal.

Khairussaleh said Maybank is well positioned to offer financing for its clientele and the broader palm oil and power ecosystem to support the energy transition in the region.

“By setting ambitious yet achievable targets and implementing a combination of regulatory measures, incentives, and technological innovations, we firmly believe that both sectors can play a crucial role in achieving net zero emissions by 2050,” he added.

At the noon break, shares in Maybank stood one sen or 0.1% higher at RM9.91, valuing Malaysia’s largest bank by assets at RM119.58 billion.

https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/713643

Sumber : The Edge Malaysia

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Last Updated: 08 February 2024

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PUTRAJAYA (Feb 7): The Ministry of Plantations and Commodities (KPK) will take stern action against any party involved in discriminatory or negative labelling of palm oil.

In a statement on Wednesday, the ministry said it takes the issue seriously and will take strict action in accordance with laws and regulations against importers, traders, sellers, and related parties who commit such offences.

"The Multi-Agency Enforcement Force (MAEF) conducted inspections at several premises in Selangor under the Trade Descriptions (Prohibition of Use of Statement, Expression or Indication) (Oil Palm Product and Palm Oil Goods) Regulations 2022 on Jan 26.

The penalty for a violation of the above regulations is a fine of up to RM220,000 or imprisonment of up to five years.

“During the inspections, it was found that some food products in these establishments were conspicuously labelled with discriminatory labelling against palm oil (DLAPO), for example with statements such as 'no palm oil' or 'without palm oil',” it said.

These shops included those selling local products such as baby food and imported food labelled DLAPO.

It is important to note that some importing companies placed stickers on the investigated products labelled "Imported and distributed by".

"During the inspections, the shop managers were informed of the ban on the use of the label and asked to clear the shelves until further action is taken.

"Warnings have also been issued to the involved premises to stop selling products with discriminatory labeling against palm oil and to remove existing products from the market immediately," said the statement.

KPK said follow-up inspections will be conducted to ensure the same problems are not repeated and warnings will be issued to prevent enforcement actions by MAEF that could lead to fines and product seizures.

 According to KPK, such labelling techniques give consumers the negative impression that the use of palm oil is harmful to health if the product contains palm oil.

"Apart from that, the action also damages the good reputation of palm oil industry in the country and violates the principles of fair and transparent trade," it said.

https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/700193

Sumber : The Edge Malaysia

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Last Updated: 17 July 2024

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KUALA LUMPUR (July 16): Crude palm oil (CPO) futures for the active months in 2024 are forecast to average between RM3,850 and RM4,000 per tonne on Bursa Malaysia, according to the Malaysian Palm Oil Association (MPOA).

In a statement on Monday (July 15), the association said this projection indicates a slight increase compared to the RM3,800 per tonne average witnessed throughout 2023, reflecting ongoing market dynamics and supply-demand balances in the palm oil sector.

MPOA said that in June 2024, CPO production figures from both the MPOA members and the Malaysia Palm Oil Board (MPOB) mirrored each other closely, with MPOA reporting 1.60 million tonnes and MPOB slightly higher at 1.61 million tonnes.

It said this represented a 5% decrease month on month but a robust 12% increase year on year.

The group said market sentiment points towards a potential total CPO production in 2024 exceeding 19 million tonnes based on Malaysia's first half of 2024 performance, which saw a notable 10% year-on-year increase to 8.88 million tonnes compared to 8.08 million tonnes last year.

It said this growth was predominantly driven by a substantial 19% rise in Peninsular Malaysia, offsetting a 5% decline in Sabah.

However, MPOA said concerns may arise for the second half of 2024, as reduced rainfall in the first half may impact future FFB and corresponding CPO production.

It said the ability of Sabah to bolster production in the latter half of the year will be pivotal in determining if the elusive 19 million-tonne mark can be surpassed.

Outgoing MPOA chief executive Joseph Tek Choon Yee highlighted the sector's distinctiveness, operating primarily in rural settings and relying on and being exposed to natural elements like rainfall and sunlight — and not in any assembly lines under a roof.

He said the oil palm trees are biologically robust and perennial, enduring for up to 25 years once planted.

“However, the sector faces unique challenges: crude palm oil (CPO) is a commodity traded at market prices, making producers price-takers rather than price-makers.

“Consequently, the industry cannot simply pass on rising costs to consumers. Investments are long-term, with returns fluctuating based on palm product prices,” he said.

Tek said the initial gestation period involves around three years with no income, followed by replanting only after more than two decades. The industry remains predominantly labour-intensive, relying heavily on foreign workers due to locals generally not aspiring for the low-skilled "3D" jobs set against no game-changing mechanisation breakthroughs as yet.

“Compounding these challenges are rising production costs, with the national average for CPO currently standing at RM2,800 to RM3,000 per metric ton,” he said.

https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/719148

Sumber : The Edge Malaysia