KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 26 — The government has targeted oil palm replanting on 77,000 hectares of land over the next five years (2025 to 2029) to ensure the palm sector remains sustainable and competitive by implementing an oil palm replanting programme, specifically among smallholders.
The Plantation and Commodities Ministry (KPK) said that research and development (R&D) will be enhanced to produce high-yielding oil palm plants using tissue culture techniques and conventional seed production to meet the demand for replanting.
“Currently, the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) has launched three commercial clones, namely Clonal Palm Series 1 (CPS1), CPS2, and CPS3, to improve yield and productivity.
"MPOB is also facilitating the adoption of automation, mechanisation, and IR4.0 (Industrial Revolution 4.0) technologies to boost production and quality,” it said in a written reply published on the Parliament website today.
KPK was responding to Padang Terap MP Nurul Amin Hamid's query on its long-term strategic plan to rejuvenate the agri-commodity sector, especially rubber and oil palm.
Meanwhile, in response to Pasir Salak MP Jamaludin Yahya's query on the readiness of the local ecosystem for smart agricultural technology, it said MPOB is collaborating with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission via the AgriNXT programme to provide digital solutions for the oil palm industry.
"We hope that through these efforts, the acceptance of smart agricultural technology can be enhanced, thereby improving the effectiveness of oil palm estate management and increasing the country’s oil palm output,” KPK said.
— Bernama
