KUALA LUMPUR: The government remains committed to prioritising oil palm replanting for smallholders and major plantation companies, said Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.
He said while private companies have the financial means to replant ageing oil palm trees regularly, smallholders often lack the resources — a gap that could hurt the sector’s long-term productivity.
He warned that failure to do so could jeopardise Malaysia’s future exports and production.
“Replanting is easier for private companies. Major firms like Sime Darby, United Plantations and KLK have succeeded because they maintain sufficient capital to carry out timely replanting.
“If replanting is not carried out in accordance with the tree’s life cycle, productivity will decline,” he told the Dewan Rakyat today in response to a supplementary question from Jamaludin Yahya (PN-Pasir Salak), who asked about current studies indicating the direct impact of delayed palm oil replanting in the country.
He added that mature oil palm trees could yield up to 28 tonnes. However, without replanting, he said the yields would likely drop significantly.
“If replanting isn’t done, once the trees reach 25 to 27 years of age, the yield usually drops to around four or five tonnes.”
Earlier, Johari said that under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), the government is expected to allocate RM1.4 billion over five years to assist smallholders in replanting ageing oil palms.
The initiative aligns with Malaysia’s aim of maintaining its position as the world’s second-largest palm oil producer.
He said the allocation — RM1.4 billion in total, not annually — is essential to help rejuvenate plantations with higher-yielding varieties.
The 13MP, tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, outlined the government’s wider strategy to revitalise strategic sectors — including agricultural commodities, the halal industry and Islamic finance — by boosting productivity in palm oil, rubber and cocoa through modern technologies such as mechanisation, automation, robotics, and targeted reseach and development.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
