Demand for Malaysian palm oil continues to increase with the discovery of 3 new buyers from the European continent.
The Minister of Plantation Industry and Commodities, Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin underlined that Estonia, the Czech Republic and Hungary started buying national palm oil since the beginning of this year.
According to Datuk Zuraida, Estonia imported 2,501 tons at RM20.22 million between January and July while Hungary bought 853 tons at RM6.73 and the Czech Republic took 95 tons at RM880,000.
He added that the presence of countries from the European zone opens a new market that is in line with the government's aspirations to win new buyers.
Speaking about the reaction of Europeans about the country's palm oil, the Minister of Plantation Industry and Commodities said they were very impressed with the productivity and versatility of Malaysia's food and non-food sectors.
They are also impressed by the constant availability of food sources throughout the year in Malaysia.
In the meantime, the increase in local demand for palm oil can be linked to the Ukrainian war factor that triggered disruptions in the global supply of sunflower oil and mustard seeds.
Looking ahead, the ministry believes that Malaysia will remain among the countries' choices even when the Ukraine conflict ends.
