Kuala lumpur: Malaysia remains optimistic that 2026 will present further opportunities for growth within the global palm oil sector, Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad said. She highlighted the support of closer international cooperation, improving trade conditions, and collective efforts to advance sustainability and resilience within the sector as key factors for this optimistic outlook.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Noraini emphasized the importance of collaboration across the value chain during her keynote address at the 37th Palm and Lauric Oils Price Outlook Conference and Exhibition (POC) 2026. She called on producers, traders, policymakers, and end-users to work together to navigate market volatility, regulatory developments, and shifting demand patterns.
POC 2026 has attracted approximately 2,000 delegates from more than 50 countries, including producers, consumers, traders, policymakers, and investors. Organised by Bursa Malaysia, the conference focuses on key discussions including supply and demand dynamics, geopolitical shifts, structural trends influencing pricing and trade flows, and the evolving roles of biofuels, oleochemicals, and technological innovations.
Also present at the conference were Bursa Malaysia chief executive officer Datuk Fad'l Mohamed and the Malaysian Palm Oil Board chairman Datuk Mohamad Helmy Othman Basha. Noraini further stated that sustainability remains a central pillar of Malaysia's palm oil strategy, with significant efforts made in 2025 towards certification, traceability, and data readiness to reinforce global buyer and consumer confidence.
She noted that the extension of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) implementation provides valuable additional time, which should be seen as an opportunity to strengthen readiness, implementation, and inclusion across the supply chain. In 2025, Malaysia's palm oil industry achieved a major milestone with crude palm oil production reaching a record 20.28 million tonnes, surpassing 20 million metric tonnes for the first time.
Malaysia's palm oil export performance also saw improvement in 2025, with the total export value of palm oil and palm oil-based products rising to RM112.51 billion, compared with RM109.39 billion in 2024.