Malaysian Palm Oil Board to Introduce New Oil Palm Breed

The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) will make it easier for smallholders to grow oil palms and harvest the produce with its new breed of oil palm.  Primary Industries and Commodities Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Jeck Seng said the trees of the new breed were shorter but would produce the same amount of harvest as current variants being planted by smallholders. 

Wee added that the new breed could be made available to smallholders through the Sustainable Oil Palm Growers Cooperative following further research and study. “We will need the plants from the new breed to reach maturity first before making any final decision as we need to look at whether it is suitable for smallholders, ” he said. Wee also said that about 88% of oil palm plantations nationwide were MSPO-certified. “However, only about 39% of plantations owned by smallholders have received the MSPO certification.