Malaysia says it will cut the export of chickens from the start of June because of shortages in the country.Elsewhere in Asia, India has banned wheat exports, while Indonesia blocked overseas sales of palm oil.It comes as the world faces the worst food crisis in decades following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.One agriculture expert has highlighted concerns about the potential rise of so-called "food nationalism" by governments in the region.Malaysian shoppers have seen chicken p

Indonesia will lift its ban on palm oil exports next week, President Joko Widodo said, relieving pressure on the global vegetable oil market after prices spiked because of the suspension and the war in Ukraine.The archipelago nation issued the ban last month to secure supplies of the commodity, used in a range of goods from chocolate spreads to cosmetics, in the face of a domestic shortage."Based on the supply...

As millions of Indonesians travelled to their hometowns to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, one common struggle was being discussed in most family gatherings: the price of cooking oil.“I always host Eid al-Fitr celebrations for my big family. I cook everything for around 20 of us.

Since its inception for commercial purpose in early 1900s, palm oil has been promoted as a major agro-based industry in Southeast Asian economies like Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.

Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous nation, and 10th largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity, has made enormous gains in poverty reduction – cutting the poverty rate by more than half since 1999, to 9.78 percent in 2020. Nevertheless, out of a population of 270.2 million, an estimated 26.42 million Indonesians still live below the poverty line.

In December 2018, the European Union (EU) revised the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) also called RED II which bans the use of palm oil.

In March last year, when Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad visited Pakistan, he made it clear that Malaysia will not take sides on the Kashmir issue. Nevertheless, at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, he was a changed man.He accused India of "invading and occupying the country" of Jammu and Kashmir.

In April 2017, the European Parliament passed a resolution restricting the import of uncertified palm oil.

The recent announcement that 10 of the world’s largest palm oil producers and buyers are supporting the development of a “new, publicly available radar-based forest monitoring system” may be nothing more than a publicity stunt.After all, technology is not the answer to solving one of Southeast Asia’s most pressing environmental problems – the effective implementation and enforcement of policies is.The slash-and-burn method is the cheapest and fastest way to clear land for farming, and over th

An Indonesian palm oil executive has been arrested for allegedly ordering the killing of two activist journalists who were mediating a land dispute between his company and local residents, police said Saturday.Maraden Sianipar’s body was found last week in a ditch near a palm plantation in Labuhan Batu in North Sumatra province.Police found the remains of his colleague, Maratua Siregar, in the same area a day later.