KUALA LUMPUR: Only 25.5% of the 250,000 independent oil palm smallholders have obtained the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification, the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) said.
Its deputy director-general of services Dr Ramle Moslim called on over 150,000 independent oil palm smallholders nationwide who have yet to register for the certification to do so.
He said the MSPO certificate was very important as it would enable them to meet the conditions on the commodity stipulated by developed countries, especially in Europe.
“When they are not registered and do not have the MSPO certification, most likely they will not be able to renew their licence, besides the possibility of getting low prices for their oil palm fruits,“ he told reporters after meeting editors over lunch yesterday.
Ramle said only a handful of oil palm smallholders were still not aware of the MSPO certification even though various awareness campaigns had been since the last few years.
Meanwhile, MPOB director-general Dr Ahmad Parveez Ghulam Kadir said the MSPO certification was made mandatory for smallholders since July 1, 2020 and the agency would start issuing compounds to those who did not have the certificate from July 1, 2021. – Bernama
