But at the moment, Malaysia’s oil palm smallholders are struggling with a glut and falling prices. Chai and Ah Chen are among some 650,000 oil palm smallholders in the country caught in a dilemma by a glut of oil palm and falling prices. Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok has said that Malaysians seem to prefer imported oils like canola, sunflower and soy from Europe instead of local palm oil; she claims that the promotion of palm oil overseas will fail if Malaysians themselves do not consume it. She has also announced upcoming campaigns to raise awareness of palm oil and conduct more research into using oil palm trunks as an alternative to plywood. The year is drawing to a close and the subdued mood among oil palm smallholders speaks volumes of a flagging industry.

Source: The Star December 16, 2018 00:45 UTC