ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto has signed a circular letter regarding the approval of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) accession to become a full member of the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. The letter will also be signed in parallel by the Minister of Agriculture and Commodities of Malaysia, the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras, and the Minister of Palm Oil of Papua New Guinea.
In 2023, the harvested area of oil palm in the Democratic Republic of Congo is around 340,000 hectares with a fresh fruit bunch production of around 2.23 million tons and a productivity of 6.59 tons per hectare. The number of oil palm plantations is 54,000 plantations.
Although the palm oil industry in the Democratic Republic of Congo is still in the development stage, this country has great potential to increase palm oil production sustainably. The Democratic Republic of Congo is committed to developing the palm oil sector as part of its economic diversification and community empowerment.
Before officially becoming a full member, the Democratic Republic of Congo has acted as a guest country and observer country in CPOPC. The membership of the Democratic Republic of Congo in CPOPC as the first African country to become a full member will further strengthen CPOPC’s position in the global arena. This is a strategic step in expanding CPOPC’s influence in the world palm oil market, especially in dealing with trade barriers and access to new markets for palm oil products.
The CPOPC Forum is an international organization for palm oil commodities founded in 2015 by Indonesia and Malaysia, the two largest palm oil producing countries.
One of the objectives of CPOPC is to support sustainable palm oil management, improve farmer welfare, and advance the global economy through the palm oil industry. The CPOPC Secretariat is based in Jakarta, where the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs is the focal point for CPOPC.
Currently, CPOPC members consist of major palm oil producing countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Honduras, and Papua New Guinea, each of which has a major contribution to global production. With the joining of the Democratic Republic of Congo, CPOPC not only expands its geographical reach, but also opens up opportunities for the development of a more inclusive palm oil industry in the African region, as well as strengthening the organization’s position in championing sustainability and policies that support this sector in various parts of the world. (AT Network)
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