PUTRAJAYA: The Plantation and Commodities Ministry will ensure nationwide compliance in the plantation sector with global standards, including the European Union Deforestation-Free Regulation (EUDR) and other sustainability requirements.

Its minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said a nationwide roadshow will soon be held to tackle various emerging issues. This includes discrepancies in land status across states that have affected Malaysia's overall rating.

He explained that the roadshow will include presentations on the EUDR and the implications of climate change to ensure that all states fully understand these critical issues.

Malaysia will greatly benefit from this as future production will be aligned with these standards, Johari added.

"We will be conducting a series of roadshow across all states in Malaysia to ensure that the agricommodity sector, which includes components such as palm oil, rubber, and cocoa, adopts and complies with the established standards and requirements, rather than using varying approaches.

"This is because global bodies look for comprehensive compliance. It's a basic but very important aspect. If any state fails to comply, for example, having rubber plantations but growing palm oil, it will affect Malaysia's rating, as this becomes one of the prerequisites set by international bodies," he told the media after holding a meeting with the agricultural exco from 13 states here yesterday.

The meeting was held to discuss cooperation, programmes, and activities in the agricommodity sector, as well as to enhance the planning and implementation of related initiatives.

Meanwhile, Johari said Malaysia remains committed to ensuring the sustainability and international standards of agricommodity products and supply chains produced through the sector.

He added that the agricommodity sector is not free from issues and challenges at both domestic and international levels. 

"These issues and challenges affect the marketability of state agricommodity products in international markets as Malaysian products. 

"Any non-compliance with these standards and regulations will impact the marketability of national agricommodity products internationally and indirectly affect the income of state governments, which heavily depend on the agriculture and plantation sector," he said.

The minister also noted that the agricommodity sector plays an important role in the national economy through its contribution to national income with export earnings.   

The sector is also crucial in the government's efforts to eradicate poverty by creating job opportunities and increasing equity in line with the country's progress. 

He highlighted that in 2023, the agricommodity sector contributed RM83.16 billion or 5.31 per cent to the country's gross domestic product.

Therefore, Johari said this matter needs to be viewed and addressed jointly by the federal government and state governments, particularly concerning compliance with sustainability standards set by the EUDR.

He added that this includes efforts in environmental conservation and restoration such as high conservation value, and issues related to forced labour and human rights.

"Issues such as deforestation, legal land ownership, traceability, and good labour practices are not only critical for ensuring the international marketability of agricommodity sector products but have also been frequently discussed in recent free trade agreement negotiations," he said.

https://www.nst.com.my/business/economy/2024/08/1085261/ending-non-compliance-malaysias-plantation-sector