Malaysian Palm Oil Board

Malaysian Palm Oil Board
(MPOB)
Lembaga Minyak Sawit Malaysia
Agency overview
Formed May 2000 (2000-05)
Preceding agencies
  • Palm Oil Research Institute of Malaysia
  • Palm Oil Registration and Licensing Authority
Jurisdiction Malaysia
Headquarters Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor
Agency executives
  • Datuk Ahmad Hamzah, Chairman
  • Dr. Ahmad Kushairi Din, Director General
Parent department Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities
Website www.mpob.gov.my

The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (Malay: Lembaga Minyak Sawit Malaysia), abbreviated MPOB, is a government agency responsible for the promotion and development of the palm oil industry in Malaysia.[1] It is one of the agencies under Malaysia's Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities.[2]

Formation

The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) was established in 1998 with the passing of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board Act, which led to the merger of two pre-existing agencies, the Palm Oil Research Institute of Malaysia (PORIM) and the Palm Oil Registration and Licensing Authority (PORLA).[1] The resulting organisation was named the Malaysian Palm Oil Board and officially began operations in May 2000.[3] The first Director-General of the MPOB was Yusof Basiron who served until 2006.[4] [5]

Overview

The MPOB is an agency of the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities[2] and is funded by palm oil industry taxes and through government grants for research.[3][6] The current chairman is Shahrir bin Abdul Samad, and the director general is Choo Yuen May.[7][8] According to the organisation's official website, the MPOB is headquartered in Bandar Baru Bangi and operates additional offices both within Malaysia and abroad, including offices in China, Brussels, Pakistan, the United States and Egypt.[9][10] The MPOB requires all businesses involved in the palm oil industry to be licensed through the organisation.[6]

Young oil palm plantation in East Malaysia, 2010

The organisation's activities include research, publication, development and implementation of regulations and the promotion of the palm oil industry in Malaysia.[2] The MPOB oversees all stages of palm oil production in Malaysia, from planting to exporting. It publishes several journals, including the Journal of Oil Palm Research.

The MPOB also oversees the Tropical Peat Research Institute, an organisation that conducts research into the effects of planting palm oil on peat land.[11]

In 2012 and 2013, the MPOB has focused on supporting palm oil smallholders by making available funds and additional services for palm oil producers with fewer than 2.5 hectare of land. These growers are eligible for government assistance intended to help smaller producers compete with larger plantations.[12]

Research and development

The MPOB supports the development of new products including biodiesel[6] and alternate uses for palm biomass, the organic waste produced when processing oil palm trees. The research into biomass has led to the development of wood and paper products, fertilisers, bioenergy sources, polyethylene sheeting for use in vehicles and other products made of palm biomass.[13]

The MPOB has worked in partnership with several universities on research and development projects, including a project with Beijing University that developed animal feed using oil palm kernels. The organisation has also partnered with the University of London and Copenhagen University.[14] In 2009, the MPOB pledged to increase their partnerships with private sector businesses, announcing partnerships with Sime Darby and the Genting Group's research department.[15] Since then the MPOB has also announced research partnerships with WarisNove, C.H.E. Metal Works and Nippon Palm Corporation.[13]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Lim Weng Soong. Malaysian Palm Oil Board - A Merger of PORIM and PORLA (PDF) (Report). Retrieved 19 February 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 "Malaysian Palm Oil Board". mpic.gov.my. Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities Malaysia. Retrieved 20 February 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Palm oil board officially comes into being May 1". Malaysia Economic News. 29 April 2000. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
  4. ↑ "Board of Directors". Sime Darby. Retrieved 2014-12-27.
  5. ↑ "Tan Sri Dr Yusof Basiron". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2014-12-27.
  6. 1 2 3 Chin, M. Biofuels in Malaysia: An analysis of the legal and institutional framework. p. 19. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  7. ↑ "Foreword from the Chairman of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board". mpob.gov.my. Malaysian Palm Oil Board. Retrieved 20 February 2013.
  8. ↑ "Foreword from the Director General Malaysian Palm Oil Board". mpob.gov.my. Malaysian Palm Oil Board. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
  9. ↑ "Local". mpob.gov.my. Malaysian Palm Oil Board. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
  10. ↑ "International". mpob.gov.my. Malaysian Palm Oil Board. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
  11. ↑ "Tropical Peat Research Institute". mpob.gov.my. Malaysian Palm Oil Board. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  12. ↑ Ghani, Patimang Abdul (26 February 2013). "MPOB Approves 2,432 Applications From Smallholders To Start Oil Palm Planting in Sabah". Bernama. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  13. 1 2 Danapal, G (2 November 2012). "Malaysian Palm Oil Board biomass research bears fruit". Green Prospects Asia. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  14. ↑ Ismail, Zaidi Isham (3 February 2009). "MPOB at forefront of R&D". Business Times. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  15. ↑ "Malaysian Palm Oil Board wants closer ties with private sector". PalmOilHQ. 7 February 2009. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
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