Malaysia’s palm oil industry contributes around 23% of the global supply
Egypt remains Malaysia’s key trading partner as the government sets to expand its palm oil exports to South Africa and the Middle East.
Malaysia’s Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said Egypt, consumes about 1.2 million tonnes of palm oil annually. I am confident that Egypt’s strategic geographical location would enhance our nations’ economic prosperities. In our discussions, I emphasised to the Egyptian government regarding Malaysia’s commitment to providing Egypt with a steady supply of high quality and sustainable palm oil certified by our locally-developed certification standard, MSPO. I look forward to further cooperating with His Excellency Dr Ali to ensure mutually beneficial trade relations.
On May 28, Minister Johari had opened the Malaysian Palm Oil Forum (MPOF) Egypt 2024 in Cairo, marking the second edition of the event aimed at enhancing the exports of Malaysian palm oil and its derivatives in the North African region. He emphasised the critical role of Malaysian palm oil in the global market and its contributions to sustainable agribusiness. Johari said whereas a hectare of soybean produced 0.5 metric tonnes of oil and sunflower 0.8 metric tonnes, oil palm produces 3.3 metric tonnes of oil
The forum, hosted by the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) in Cairo, attracted industry leaders, stakeholders, and experts from Egypt, Malaysia, and beyond, with key representatives from major Malaysian palm oil suppliers in attendance. With the theme “Malaysian Palm Oil — Paving the Way for Sustainable Agribusiness,” the event underscores Malaysia’s commitment to sustainable practices. It also aligns with global environmental imperatives and highlights the strong bilateral relationship between Malaysia and Egypt. Minister Johari highlighted that Malaysian palm oil producers are already in compliance with global standards on sustainability. He added that Malaysia had intensified its engagement sessions with other countries because of the global concern for sustainability.
Malaysia’s approach to palm oil was four-pronged: protecting forests; sustainability; planning production areas; and, complying with international law. Malaysia exports some 800,000 metric tones of palm oil and related products to Turkiye. The country has signed various international agreements to reduce methane gas and carbon emission levels.
