KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) is intensifying its research and development (R&D) efforts to produce superior oil palm variants which could boost the nation's oil palm productivity and output without expanding the plantation area.

This effort aligns with Malaysia's commitment to biodiversity and tropical rainforest conservation, following its pledge during the 1992 Rio Earth Summit to maintain 50 per cent of its land under forest and tree cover.

In a statement today, the MPOB said Plantation and Commodities Minister, Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani had visited the MPOB Research Station in Kluang, where he had the opportunity to observe the Nigerian-based germplasm research plots, a commercial pollination resource centre, and the PS 1.1 virescens variant planting plots.

During his tour of the facility yesterday, Johari also planted a Clonal Palm Series 3 (CPS 3) seedling, a high-performance oil palm variant which was introduced by the MPOB in 2020.

This elite oil palm variant boasts an 89.7 per cent mesocarp-to-fruit ratio, resulting in significantly higher oil yields compared to conventional palm breeds.

 - BERNAMA