KUALA LUMPUR (May 12): Palm oil’s use in the oleochemical industry is expected to increase as consumers use soap and other personal hygiene and cleaning products more often due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
During the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) webinar titled "Mitigating the impact of Covid-19 on the Malaysian Palm Oil Trade", Sime Darby Oils (the downstream business of Sime Darby Plantation Bhd) managing director Mohd Haris Mohd Arshad said the usage of palm oil in oleochemicals will become more prominent.
“Palm is highly versatile and the fact that people are washing their hands and taking showers more often mean that palm oil usage in the oleochemical industry will increase. We will not see that going away,” he said.
Post Covid-19, Haris noted that the world will need a good-quality source of oils and fats, and palm oil will be able to deliver in this regard.
“I am not necessarily concerned that palm will lose demand. My thing here is that we must be ready to supply palm oil to every corner of the world once we come out of Covid-19. Looking at the supply chain infrastructure today, I am very confident that we can rise to the occasion when the market recovers,” said Mohd Haris.