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Last Updated: 22 July 2024

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SANDAKAN: Nation-building will happen only if leaders do not jump from one party to another, said the Barisan Nasional (BN) treasurer-general.

"Before a nation is built, the most important thing is to have leaders. When we win under Barisan Nasional, do not jump. Only then can the nation be built," Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani told a BN forum here today (July 21).

"If you agree, in the next election make sure those who jump are not chosen as leaders altogether."

He said leaders with integrity and who are sincere in their struggle would not jump to another group regardless of the situation in their parties.

He urged BN members to emulate parties in Sarawak, which do not have a "crossing-over culture".

Johari was a panellist in the forum, "BN membina Negara Bangsa", which was held during the Sabah BN convention at SJKC Tiong Hua here.

He added that it is important for BN to continuously produce great leaders in Sabah.

"To carry out development, we must change our political culture. I think we will have a future in Sabah greater than any state in the world.

"When we gained independence in 1957 our economy's size was only RM170 million.

"After 60 years, an economy we called tapioca has grown to RM1.6 trillion.

"If we want to have political stability in this country, all communities must work together.

"If you believe in me, if the people accept BN, we will ensure that Sabah surpasses other states in the world."

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/07/1079585/no-party-switching-emulate-sarawak-parties-johari-tells-sabah-bn

Sumber : New Straits Times

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Last Updated: 22 July 2024

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KOTA KINABALU (July 21): Deputy Minister of Plantation and Commodities, Datuk Chan Foong Hin has called on the oil palm industry players in Sabah, especially smallholders, to increase the replanting rate for aging oil palm areas to maintain the state’s palm oil productivity.

He stated that the average palm oil yield in Sabah until April 2024 had decreased by 4% compared to the same period in 2023.

“The performance of fresh fruit bunches (FFB) yield in Sabah from January to April 2024 was recorded at 4.79 tonnes per hectare, a decline of 4.0% compared to 4.99 tonnes per hectare for the same period in 2023.

“Meanwhile, for the period from January to April 2024, the FFB yield in Peninsular Malaysia was 5.18 tonnes per hectare, an increase of 19.4% compared to the same period in 2023, which was 4.34 tonnes per hectare. In Sarawak, the FFB yield increased by 8.7% from 3.80 tonnes per hectare to 4.13 tonnes per hectare,” he said in a statement on Sunday.

According to Chan, the main factor for the decline in FFB yield in Sabah was the reduction in the area of fully mature oil palm trees, which are between nine to 18 years old, with an estimated FFB productivity of around 20 to 24 tonnes per hectare per year.

“Based on statistics from the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) in December 2023, the percentage of fully mature oil palm trees in Sabah was estimated at 33.5% compared to 33.7% in the previous year.

“Oil palm trees that have not reached full maturity or are in old age usually produce lower FFB yields, directly affecting the FFB yield for that period. By comparison, the percentage of fully mature oil palm trees in Peninsular Malaysia is 39.4%, and in Sarawak, it is 56.1%,” he added.

Therefore, Chan urged smallholders in Sabah to expedite the replanting process for aging oil palm areas.
“For eligible smallholders, it is recommended to apply for the funds provided by the government for the implementation of the Palm Oil Smallholders Replanting Financing Incentive Scheme (TSPKS) 2.0, worth RM100 million for replanting works.

“As of July 12, 2024, a total of 413 smallholders with a planted area of 1,725 hectares involving financing worth RM26.93 million had been approved by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB),” he said.

Chan also noted that the low FFB yield in Sabah for the period from January to April 2024 was also influenced by the El Niño phenomenon and mealy bug attacks.

“Based on current data, mealy bug attacks can affect palm oil production by up to 5%. MPOB, along with the industry and the Sabah Department of Agriculture, has taken appropriate measures to address this issue.

“The MPOB’s TUNAS team is also identifying and compiling a list of smallholder oil palm plantations affected by insect attacks to provide advisory services on control measures to prevent the spread to other areas,” he said.

https://www.theborneopost.com/2024/07/21/smallholders-in-sabah-urged-to-increase-oil-palm-replanting-rate/

Sumber : The Borneo Post

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Last Updated: 22 July 2024

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KUALA LUMPUR: Sik Cheong Bhd, a cooking oil distributor en route to ACE Market listing, plans to expand its product range to include high oleic soybean oil.

The company, which mainly repackages refined, bleached and deodorised (RBD) palm olein, has been getting enquiries from existing customers interested in the product, said Abdul Muiz Mustafa, senior manager at TA Securities advising and managing Sik Cheong’s initial public offering (IPO).

Palm kernel oil is more suited for confectionery and pastries, while Sik Cheong’s customers are seeking cooking oil that is “more compatible with general use”, he said at a press conference in conjunction with the launch of its IPO prospectus.

“This will allow them to cross-sell the product to retailers and wholesalers, and meet the demand from food manufacturers for a healthier cooking option," he said. Further, soybean oil does not require a different set of handling procedures than palm oil, Abdul Muiz added.

Sik Cheong’s IPO — priced at 27 sen apiece — involves the public issuance of 66 million new shares, which would raise RM17.82 million for the company, and an offer for sale of 20 million existing shares.

The company has set aside 40% of the proceeds to build a new packaging facility to accommodate future expansion of repackaged RBD palm olein oil business and the new venture into high oleic soybean oil, which will require additional space.

Upon completion, the company’s total operational space will increase by 88.1% to about 38,525 sq ft. The company will also buy new machinery and equipment for the repackaging of high oleic soybean oil and RBD palm olein oil products.

Currently, utilisation rate ranges from 20% to 70% depending on the packaging sizes of the products, said Abdul Muiz. “However, the primary constraint is the floor space, which is operating at nearly 95% capacity,” he said.

Sik Cheong’s production lines can handle up to 49,303 metric tonnes per year of RBD palm olein and the company is planning an annual capacity of 9,470 metric tonnes for high oleic soybean oil.

https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/719654

Sumber : The Edge Malaysia

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Last Updated: 22 July 2024

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NEW DELHI: A better replanting rate of older oil palm areas can increase Malaysia's annual palm oil output by 2.5 million tonnes, Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said.

He has raised concern about the low rate of replanting by independent smallholders, who number about 450,000 and have 1.5 million hectares under cultivation.

"Our replanting has dropped significantly. Based on industry standards, we should replant 4-5 per cent, but our national average is only about 1.8 per cent," he told reporters here.

Increasing the replanting rate to industry standards will add more than 2.5 million tonnes to the total palm oil production, he said.

As Malaysia follows sustainable palm oil standards, it will not open up new areas for plantations and will instead focus on higher yield on the current harvested area of 5.7 million hectares, said Johari.

Malaysia's forest cover, which is 54 per cent at present, cannot drop below 50 per cent as part of the country's climate commitments.

Johari said Malaysia was working on a number of initiatives such as greater focus on research and development, more replanting and consolidation of smallholdings to grow output.

Malaysia produced 18.6 million tonnes of palm oil in 2023 compared with about 20 million tonnes a decade ago.

Meanwhile, Malaysia and India discussed ways to increase cooperation in the palm oil sector.

Johari and Indian Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan met on Thursday to explore opportunities in the agriculture field, including collaboration on the Indian initiative known as "the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm".

Under the scheme launched in 2021, India aims to expand its oil palm cultivation area manifold as part of its efforts to reduce dependence on imported edible oil.

"In this endeavour, Malaysia can provide expertise in improving crop yields, converting underutilised land into productive oil palm plantations, and nurturing the growth of oil palm cultivation," Johari earlier told an industry conference.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/07/1078822/johari-better-replanting-rate-can-raise-malaysian-annual-palm-oil-output

Sumber : New Straits Times