Malaysian Palm Oil Board

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). The resulting organisation was named the Malaysian Palm Oil Board and officially began operations in May 2000. The first Director-General of the MPOB was Yusof Basiron who served until 2006.

Overview

The MPOB is an agency of the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities and is funded by palm oil industry taxes and through government grants for research. The current chairman is Shahrir bin Abdul Samad, and the director general is Choo Yuen May. 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. The MPOB requires all businesses involved in the palm oil industry to be licensed through the organisation.

The organisation's activities include research, publication, development and implementation of regulations and the promotion of the palm oil industry in Malaysia. 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.

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.

Research and development

The MPOB supports the development of new products including biodiesel 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.

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. 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. Since then the MPOB has also announced research partnerships with WarisNove, C.H.E. Metal Works and Nippon Palm Corporation.