Kuala lumpur: A total of 209,033 oil palm smallholders nationwide, covering 747,012 hectares of plantations, have obtained Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification as of Aug 31.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) reported that among these smallholders, 29,918 are located in Sabah, covering an area of 184,564 hectares. The statement highlighted the government's financial commitment to support the smallholders, with more than RM2 million allocated in the Pitas district, Sabah, to enhance their participation in the sustainable palm oil value chain.

During the MSPO strengthening programme held in Pitas district, Deputy Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Chan Foong Hin presented a cheque of RM713,322 to eight recipients under the Oil Palm Smallholder Replanting Financing Incentive Scheme (TSPKS) 2.0. This financial aid covers a replanting area of 39.63 hectares. TSPKS 2.0 is a matching grant scheme offered by the government via MPOB, focusing on smallholders with planting areas of less than 10 hectares.

MPOB also shared that 707 applications for the incentive scheme, covering an area of 3,034.20 hectares, have been approved for Sabah. The board is committed to providing continuous support services and guidance on sustainable palm oil certification to private smallholders across the nation through its TUNAS offices.

To bolster the active participation of oil palm smallholders in the mainstream agri-commodity sector, MPOB has established 49 TUNAS branches nationwide, supported by approximately 190 TUNAS officers. These offices provide guidance on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and assist in the replanting of old and unproductive palm oil trees.

MPOB also noted that the postponement of the enforcement of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) until the end of December 2025 offers the Malaysian palm oil industry additional time to enhance compliance with the country's sustainability certification standards for the EU palm oil market.