Malaysia’s crude palm oil output to exceed 19.5 mil tonnes this year — MPOB

Malaysia’s crude palm oil (CPO) production for 2025 is expected to exceed last year’s output, with projections indicating output could surpass 19.5 million tonnes, up from 19.3 million tonnes in 2024.

Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) chairman Datuk Mohamad Helmy Othman Basha said that although the year has yet to conclude, current estimates point to higher national CPO production that is also supported by favourable prices.

“So far, prices are higher than last year. Based on current production and prices, our exports are also likely to be higher,” he told reporters at a press conference after launching the International Conference on Oil Palm Protection (ICOPP) here on Friday.

The MPOB chair said that the final export data will be announced in January during the MPOB’s annual review and outlook conference once full-year data becomes available.

Mohamad Helmy noted that Malaysia’s CPO production is expected to rise this year despite several ongoing challenges faced by the industry.

“Among these challenges, some of the most damaging, and in some cases irreversible, arise from pests, diseases, weed infestations, declining soil health, and the increasing impact of climate change.

“If left unmanaged, these threats risk undermining decades of progress and jeopardising long-term sustainability,” he said.

He said that the key concern is basal stem rot, caused by the persistent fungus Ganoderma Boninense, alongside leaf spot and other emerging pathogens that continue to affect productivity.

“On the pest front, bagworm remains one of the most critical leaf-eating insects in oil palm plantations, capable of causing severe defoliation and substantial yield losses if not controlled.

“At present, basal stem rot and bagworm infestation remain the two most damaging pests and disease threats to Malaysia’s oil palm sector,” he added.

The ICOPP, jointly organised by the MPOB and the International Society for Oil Palm Protection (ISOPP), is being held for the first time this year in conjunction with the MPOB International Palm Oil Congress and Exhibition (PIPOC) 2025.

Also present at the press conference were MPOB director general Datuk Dr Ahmad Parveez Ghulam Kadir and Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) secretary general Izzana Salleh.