Plantation industries and commodities minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said Estonia, the Czech Republic and Hungary have begun to purchase palm oil.
Apart from aggressive marketing efforts, she said, debunking western myths and propaganda also contributed to the success.
For years, there had been a concerted effort in the west to discredit palm oil in favour of soya, sunflower, rapeseed and other oils.
In a statement issued today, Zuraida said Estonia imported 2,501 tonnes of Malaysian palm oil, worth about RM20.22 million between January and July.
In the same period, Hungary purchased 853 tonnes valued at RM6.73 million and the Czech Republic bought 95 tonnes worth RM880,000.
However, she acknowledged that Malaysia was able to tap into these new markets also because the war in Ukraine had disrupted the supply of sunflower and rapeseed oils, which were traditionally used in these countries.
Nonetheless, she expressed confidence that having put a foot in, Malaysia would be able to grow its palm oil exports to these countries when the Ukraine conflict ends.
Apart from expanding its market share among long-time users of palm oil, the ministry is focusing its efforts to win over non-traditional buyers, particularly the EU.
Zuraida said feedback from the new markets had been positive. “They are impressed with Malaysian palm oil because of its higher productivity, versatility in the food and non-food sectors and its availability throughout the year.
She said this was the result of efforts under the “Global Movement to Champion the Goodness of Palm Oil” campaign.
Stay current - Follow FMT on WhatsApp, Google news and Telegram