Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok is leading a promotion mission for palm oil, timber, rubber and kenaf products to Europe from yesterday until September 21.
Public and private sector senior officials will be in the 12-day mission covering Germany, France, Romania and Belgium.
The focus of this visit was to discuss with the public and private sectors of the visiting countries on potential areas to strengthen palm oil, timber and rubber products exports, Dompok said in a statement yesterday.
Dompok will also attend a dialogue and roundtable discussions with cabinet ministers, industry associations, non-governmental organisations and the media on sustainable development of the commodity sector and measures undertaken by Malaysia.
In Germany, the delegation will visit Automechanika, the biggest auto exhibition in Europe, where six Malaysian companies are participating to promote rubber-based automotive components.
The delegation will also hold talks with the European Industrial Hemp Association to explore cooperation in the development of the kenaf industry in Malaysia.
The visit to France from September 13 to 14 is to discuss with cabinet ministers and the French private sector on sustainable development of the palm oil industry in Malaysia.
This is to promote the image of palm oil from Malaysia from the perspective of its sustainable development and its nutritional benefits.
In Romania, Dompok will address a palm oil and trade seminar (POTS) Romania 2012 in Bucharest on September 18.
POTS Romania 2012 will be attended by major importers of palm oil and palm oil products. The seminar will provide an opportunity to Malaysia to further promote exports of palm oil and its derived products to the European market.
The minister will also convene discussions with the minister responsible for infrastructure development to promote the use of rubber-based seismic bearings for earthquake-prone areas.
In Belgium, the delegation will hold discussions with major timber importers and NGOs on sustainable timber products from Malaysia.
Dompok will also hold bilateral talks with the European Commissioner for Environment on certification for timber products under the Forest Law, Enforcement, Governance and Trade.
The European Union (EU) headquartered in Brussels is a major market for commodities-related products and for palm oil.
The 27-member EU is the second largest export destination for Malaysia’s palm oil, with exports in 2011 totalling about RM10.3bil, up 19.4 per cent as compared with RM8.61bil in 2010.
Major palm oil products exported are palm oil, palm kernel oil, oleochemicals and finished products.
Other commodity-related products exported to EU last year are rubber products worth RM7.57bil, timber products valued at RM2.29bil, cocoa products (RM711.9mil) and pepper products (RM35.2mil).
