Malaysia fighting back on proposed EU palm oil ban

In Malaysia, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas told Black Sea Grain that Sarawak palm oil producers are now under threat from the proposed European Union ban on palm oil as part of the Renewable Energy Directive. Uggah is also Minister for Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development and said the ban will negatively impact their revenues and communities. He is working on efforts to fight the ban such as a new campaign called ‘Faces of Palm Oil’ and communicating with European ministers.

In a statement to The Borneo Post, Uggah said “In Sarawak, there are many oil palm growers; either they are independent smallholders, organised smallholders…Salcra manages 19 oil palm estates with 51,072 hectares and five palm oil mills…Our authorities and small farmer organisations led by Salcra are determined to prevent this threat.” He said that about 60% of Malaysia’s palm oil exports to the EU are now in the non-food sector with biofuels a significant proportion, saying the impact of the ban on small farmers especially would be huge.