Malaysia to help Pakistan in edible oil refining: Pakwatan

KARACHI, The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) has agreed to extend technical co-operation to Pakistan's edible oil refiners during next five years to help the 'infant' industry maximise its yield by 94 percent. In this regard, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Pakistan Edible Oil Refiners Association (PEORA) and MPOB at a local hotel on Saturday.

The deal, under which the Malaysian Board would send its technical experts every year, in May or June, to train Pakistani 'Process Engineers' in the edible oil refineries, was signed by PEORA Chairman Muhammad Hanif and MPOB Country Manager Esa Bin Mansoor.

With Port Qasim Authority (PQA) Chairman Afsar Din Talpur as chief guest, the MoU signing ceremony was attended by Malaysian Consul-General Khalid Abbasi, Ports and Shipping Director General Vice Admiral Asad Qureshi and officials from KPT, PQA and executive members of PEORA.

According to PEORA Vice Chairman A Rasheed Janmohammad, the agreement would help the refiners in Pakistan, which imports 2.5 million tons raw palm oil/refined palm oil/olien/crude soyabean oil, and produces a meagre 0.5 million tons locally to meet its 3 million tons demand, to improve their yield and ensure that their losses could not exceed from 1 percent. He said Pakistan also imports about one million ton oilseeds, which gives about 0.4 million tons soft oil.

He said since the concept of continuous edible oil refinery plant is relatively new, such technical support from Malaysia would be very instrumental in efficiently running the refinery plant in Pakistan.

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