Officials in Fiji met with investors from the Malaysian palm oil industry this week to discuss the potential development of oil palm plantations in the Pacific island nation, reports FijiVillage.com.
Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Industry and Trades Saipora Mataikabara said the Malaysian investors have identified land in Lomaivuna. The developers are seeking a minimum of 30,000 hectares and said the project would generate employment opportunities for locals.
High palm oil prices and land scarcity in Malaysia, which together with Indonesia accounts for more than 85 percent of global palm oil production, have led plantation developers to seek opportunities overseas, including Africa and other parts of Asia.
Palm oil isn’t presently produced on commercial scale in Fiji.
