Local companies, especially manufacturers of palm oil-based products, have been urged to use the 'Love My Palm Oil' logo on their products as part of efforts to promote the commodity in local and international markets.

Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok said companies like FGV have already used the logo on their products.

“I hope more companies other than producers of cooking oil, including those that make palm oil-based food products, can use the logo.

“We should be proud of our products. We want our palm oil industry to produce five-star oil, and the products to be five-star products,” she told reporters after a briefing on Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification and a dialogue with oil palm growers and smallholders in Batu Pahat today.

Kok also slammed local companies that use a 'No Palm Oil' label on their products meant for sale in Europe.

“I urge local companies that make products for export to Western countries not to use this 'No Palm Oil' label, I think we should be proud of being the world’s second-largest producer of palm oil,” she added.

Kok said the government has been working hard to counter the perception among European countries linking palm oil production in Malaysia to environmental destruction and a decline in the orangutan population.

The ministry also takes a serious view of complaints about foreign products with the 'No Palm Oil' label being sold in Malaysia, she noted.

On another matter, she said as of July 31, 2.75 million hectares or 47 percent of the 5.85 million hectares under oil palm cultivation in Malaysia have received MSPO certification.

Meanwhile, 128 of the 162 Sustainable Palm Oil Clusters (SPOCs) comprising 14,400 independent smallholders nationwide with a cultivated area of 56,400ha have received the certification.

This includes 36 of the 43 SPOCs in Johor comprising 2,983 independent smallholders with a planted area of 7,077ha.

- Bernama