Sabah is Malaysia’s top crude palm oil producer with 4.27 million tonnes output in 2024, contributing 22.1% to national production.
KUALA LUMPUR: Sabah has solidified its position as Malaysia’s largest crude palm oil producing state with a production of 4.27 million tonnes in 2024.
The Ministry of Plantation and Commodities confirmed this production figure in a written reply published on the Dewan Rakyat portal.
This output represents a significant 22.1% of Malaysia’s total crude palm oil production for the year.
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Sabah also maintains an extensive oil palm plantation area exceeding 1.48 million hectares.
This plantation area accounts for approximately 26.43% of the country’s total oil palm cultivation land.
The state operates 129 palm oil mills to process this substantial production volume.
The ministry provided this information in response to a query from Datuk Suhaimi Nasir regarding government efforts to strengthen Sabah’s downstream palm oil industry.
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MPIC stated that the government is continuously working to reduce long-term dependence on unsustainable crude palm oil exports.
This strategic approach aims to decrease export reliance while creating more quality job opportunities for local communities.
The government remains committed to strengthening downstream palm oil industry development in Sabah.
This commitment particularly focuses on biodiesel production to add value to the country’s agri-commodity sector.
Sabah currently hosts three licensed biodiesel production plants with significant operational capacity.
These plants are Genting Biorefinery Sdn Bhd, SPC Biodiesel Sdn Bhd, and Green Edible Oil Sdn Bhd.
Their combined annual production capacity reaches 400,000 tonnes of biodiesel.
The palm oil biodiesel industry in Sabah has created approximately 160 job opportunities for local residents.
These employment opportunities emerged through the establishment of the three biodiesel production facilities. – Bernama
