PALM OIL MILL & MANAGEMENT & MOTIVATION - Zainal Zakariah: October 2014

Friday, October 31, 2014

MYpalmoil

Palm oil experts see continued price recovery

Posted: 29 Oct 2014 06:42 PM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR: OIL palm planters were a little happier at the recently-concluded Palm Oil Trade Seminar (POTS) 2014 when experts gave hopeful outlook on palm oil prices.

Hamburg-based ISTA Mielke GmbH executive director Thomas Mielke started off his forecast of palm oil pricing by assuring planters not to be carried away by bearish sentiment. "Price recovery is fundamentally justified."

He explained that palm oil, which is mainly used for food, is increasingly influenced by petroleum prices as countries all over the world look to excess edible oils as substitutes to depleting fossil fuels.

"If crude oil prices were to fall to US$75 (or RM245.20) a barrel or lower, palm prices could drop, too. This would trigger the swing factor ... the demand in the energy sector that is not mandated," said Mielke.

With sustained demand for cooking oil and margarine from the global food industry, Mielke thinks palm oil prices are unlikely to drop below RM2,000 a tonne in the next couple of months.

He expects palm oil futures to climb further and trade between RM2,300 and RM2,500 a tonne by the first quarter of 2015.

Yesterday, the third month benchmark palm oil futures on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives gained RM50 to close at RM2,263 a tonne.

This year, world production of palm oil is likely to rise to a record high of 59 million tonnes from last year's 56 million tonnes.

Mielke, a well-respected and authoritative vegetable oil analyst, once again, rejected calls by green activists for a moratorium on oil palm plantings.

"The environmental activists like to pretend or dream of a world without palm oil. It would be terrible for consumers, especially those in developing countries where two thirds of the world population resides. The truth is, we cannot replace palm oil, at least not in large volumes," he said.

Jupiter Securities chartist Benny Lee said price recovery has already begun. "Palm oil prices are likely to be on the uptrend, supported by the strengthening of the US dollar and implementation of the B7 biodiesel mandate in the country."

Godrej International Ltd director Dorab Mistry was also optimistic when he said the worst is over. "Planters can look forward to better times. I think palm oil is likely to trade in a range of RM2,100 to RM2,300 a tonne in the next several weeks.

"In December, I expect futures to rise steadily as production declines begin to bite and stocks decline. However, given the current macro economic outlook, I do not expect a runaway bull market. I think prices are likely to appreciate to RM2,500 a tonne by March next year," he said.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

MYpalmoil

I'm smiling again
FGV sells more biodiesel to China
Joint efforts to tackle palm oil trade barriers

I'm smiling again

Posted: 29 Oct 2014 02:57 AM PDT

The clock is ticking and it is getting late in the evening. I'm grumbling to myself that I'm having to work night shift today.

That means I would be crawling through the jam-packed streets to get back to office by dinner time. Uuugghh!

I was suddenly "woken" from the monotony of listening to speakers after speakers delivering their speeches when a newly met friend gave me a packet a chocolate. Yay!

This is the first time in my career as a journalist covering a palm oil conference when I'm suddenly surprised with a packet of crunchy chocolate wafers.

This newly met friend was rushing to get back to Singapore and he graciously gave me this lovely gift made from palm specialty fats.

It brought a smile to my face. Today's conference coverage is not so boring after all.

FGV sells more biodiesel to China

Posted: 28 Oct 2014 07:17 PM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd (FGV) is expanding its biodiesel business in China with the second shipment of 6,000 tonnes of palm oil methyl ester (PME) to Dongguan Port, Guangdong.

The company successfully made a maiden shipment of 6,000 tonnes of PME to Nansha Port, Guangzhou, last month.

Group president and chief executive officer Mohd Emir Mavani Abdullah said the first shipment was a highly significant development for FGV's biodiesel ambitions.

"By successfully penetrating the China market, FGV is on track to achieving its biodiesel global growth targets.

"China is one of the biggest biodiesel markets in the world. Given its huge energy requirements and reliance on biodiesel imports, we can meet this demand by virtue of being Malaysia's largest PME exporter," he said in a statement yesterday.

FGV currently accounts for 31.59 per cent of Malaysia's PME exports, he said, adding biodiesel trade between China and Malaysia is poised to rise, based on the former's rapidly growing interest in renewable energy.

From January to August, China had imported 590,777 tonnes of biodiesel from around the world.

The usage of PME is gaining popularity because the growing of the feedstock is sustainable from its economic, environment and social aspects. Fossil energy balance, which is the ratio between renewable energy output and fossil energy input is a good factor to compare biofuel sources.

Topping the list is PME with a fossil energy balance of 9. This means that a litre of palm oil biofuel contains nine times the amount of energy as that required for its production. Sugar cane has values ranging from 2 to 8. Other feedstocks such as rapeseed, soya and corn have values which fall between 1 and 4.

When it comes to yield productivity, sugar cane and palm oil rank the highest. Sugar cane yields 6,000 litres of biofuel per hectare (l/ha), followed by oil palm and sugar beet (5,000-6,000 l/ha) but palm oil is superior as it has 27 per cent higher energy content (30.53 MJ/l) than ethanol from sugarcane (24MJ/l).

Moderately efficient feedstock's such as corn, cassava and sweet sorghum yield 1,500-4,000 litres of biofuel per hectare( l/ha). Rapeseed, wheat and soya are the least efficient, yielding less than 1,500 l/ha.

Joint efforts to tackle palm oil trade barriers

Posted: 28 Oct 2014 06:49 PM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR: MALAYSIA, in welcoming the inauguration of the Jokowi administration, looks to Indonesia for continued efforts in poverty alleviation by jointly tackling smear campaigns and barriers to palm oil trade.

Indonesia President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo unveiled his Cabinet line-up recently to govern Southeast Asia's biggest economy and the world's big supplier of coal, rubber, palm oil and mineral ores.

"As main producers of palm oil, contributing to the world's food security, Malaysia is on the same page as Indonesia in developing agriculture in a way that balances the needs of people, planet and profits," said Malaysian Palm Oil Council chief executive officer Tan Sri Yusof Basiron on the sidelines of the Palm Oil Trade and Seminar, here, yesterday.

"We were informed that our ministry will be seeking to continue bilateral talks to address the opening of markets that are increasingly hindered by non-tariff trade barriers and protectionism," he added.

A business-matchmaking session between palm oil buyers and suppliers, chalking up more than 100 appointments, was arranged in conjunction to this gathering of some 400 trade delegates.

"Oil palm planting and palm oil exports provide developing nations a path out of poverty. The growing of oil palms, the world's most efficient oil crop, is helping the people of Malaysia and Indonesia to improve their standard of living," said Yusof.

On striking a balance between the needs of people, planet and profits, Yusof said many tend to overlook that oil palms, just like other trees in the forest, contribute to carbon sinking. In times of surplus, excess palm oil also serves as an alternative to depleting fossil fuel.

Oil palm planting allows Indonesia and Malaysia to supply affordable and nutritious cooking oil and margarine to billions of people in developing nations such as China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Vietnam.

According to Oil World trade journal, Malaysia and Indonesia collectively export the bulk of 56 million tonnes of palm oil.

In the last five years, Malaysia earned between US$15 billion and US$20 billion (RM50 billion and RM70 billion) a year from palm oil exports. Indonesia Palm Oil Commission reportedly said the republic earns US$10 billion annually from palm oil shipments.

Malaysia's annual palm oil exports worth US$20 billion support two million jobs along the sprawling palm oil value chain.

Despite its positive attributes, Yusof said the oil palm industry continued to face discrimination. "Environmental activists continue to dictate certification criteria and lobby for the European Union Renewable Energy Directive which discriminates against palm oil. This discrimination is against rules laid down by the World Trade Organisation."

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

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be thankful ......

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

nice ..... nice ..... nice

duly noted !!!

Monday, October 27, 2014

MYpalmoil

I'm smiling

Posted: 26 Oct 2014 02:30 AM PDT

I usually go to this place, that has a green mermaid logo, for coffee.

:) Just so you know ... there's healthy palm specialty fats in latte.

People in the service industry, especially retail, are trained to be skillful in the art of making customers feel special.

After I placed my order, the barista whipped out his marker pen and asked for my name. I smiled and replied, "today, I'm Snow White."

His eyes widened and he chuckled. "So, where are all your seven dwarfs?" he asked.

That got me laughing. Today's a special day for me. Love this!

Smile! You're on camera

Posted: 25 Oct 2014 08:13 PM PDT

I've put up a posting before on synchronised swimming and palm oil. This time, it is featuring Team Malaysia synchronised swimmers. Aged 15 to 25, these group of girls diligently undergo gruelling training of six hours a day, six days in a week at the Bukit Jalil Aquatic Centre, Selangor.

Synchronised swimming -- an aquatic sport that fuses flexibility, balance, endurance, strength and … palm oil? Yes, one of the critical elements of synchronised swimming that captures the judges' attention is the make-up.

Unknown to many, water-proof cosmetics such as lipstick, moisturiser, hair gel and sun bloc are oleochemical derivatives, which in turn are processed from palm oil.

To last for a whole performance — equal to at least four laps up and down the Olympic size pool — synchonised swimmers' water-proof make-up have to be "strong" enough to withstand a tough beating underwater. To get the right look ...

1. Apply a layer of primer on their eyes to help the eye shadow stay on.
2. Then apply layer after layer of shadow, caking it on so that it is bright and doesn't get washed after one dunk in the pool.
3. Then come the layers of eyeliner and mascara — the more the better — to make their features stand out.

Synchronised swimmers also slick back their hair using super-sticky gel, made from oleochemicals. This gooey stuff helps keep their silky mane at bay throughout the competition. It only melts away after 30 minutes of hot shower.

Beneath these bright layers of make-up and pretty smiles are hours of insane athleticism exerted day-in-day-out to make synchronised swimming look delightfully easy on the eyes.

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Khasiat SAYURAN HIJAU

KUCAI

- dapat mengubati penyakit-penyakit seperti senggugut, penyakit keputihan, darah tinggi, sembelit dan melancarkan pengaliran darah

KACANG BUNCIS

- membantu menurunkan tekanan darah serta mengawal metabolisma gula dalam darah

BROKOLI

- melambatkan penuaan kulit dan mencegah sembelit

SAWI

- mencegah hipertensi dan anemia bagi ibu hamil serta melancarkan pencernaan

BAYAM

- mencegah anemia dan menambah tenaga

PERIA

- penawar kencing manis, menurunkan paras gula dalam darah dan air kencing

PEGAGA

- mencergaskan pemikiran terutamanya kanak-kanak dan menyembuhkan luka dan kerengsaan kulit

ASPARAGUS

- mengatasi masalah kulit seperti jerawat dan ekzema. ia juga mengandungi unsur baik untuk kelenjar tiroid, pineal dan adrenal, jantung, hati, paru-paru, limpa, pankreas dan kulit

SELERI

- membantu mencegah tekanan darah tinggi dan mengubati keracunan yang berpunca daripada jangkitan bakteria

DAUN SALAD

- bertindak menenangkan fikiran. mengandungi karotin, serat dan air yang dapat menghilangkan dahaga dan melancarkan sistem pernafasan

Sumber - Rapi / karangkraf

Saturday, October 25, 2014

Salam Maal Hijrah 1436

Sent from Samsung Mobile

Thursday, October 23, 2014

High-speed Rail Stations

NST Digital
Published on
Click here to open the edition containing the shared page.

Sent from my iPad Air

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

MYpalmoil

Bursa Malaysia Bull Run 2014

Posted: 20 Oct 2014 10:25 PM PDT

The New Straits Times is covering this event because parent Media Prima Group is the new partner of Bursa Malaysia's charity marathon. It takes place today in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.

Media Prima Television Network chief executive officer Ahmad Izham Omar and his chief operating officer Seelan Paul are there in their running shoes.

Among the more "sporting" representatives from publicly-listed plantation companies at this charity run are Felda Global Ventures Holding Bhd and Sime Darby Bhd.

Bursa Bull Charge tracks a 5km run following Kuala Lumpur's Capital Market Trail, a route throughout the Central Business District that passes the headquarters of many of Malaysia's capital market players in our community, a reminder of the sustainability of the marketplace.

The run categories include a 1.5km CEOs Run, a 5.0km Individual Run and a Corporate Relay Run.

Among the 1,300-odd enthusiastic participants from the capital market community include government agencies, regulators, brokers, listed companies, traders, remisiers, trading partners and the media. There's a special category of relay run among young executives.

Key sponsors are Maybank Investment Bank, SapuraKencana Petroleum Bhd, YTL Corp Bhd, IJM Corp Bhd, Berjaya Corp Bhd, Protasco Bhd and PESTECH Sdn Bhd.

At one point, Bursa Malaysia chief executive officer Datuk Tajuddin Atan's "running mate" is CIMB Group Holdings Bhd acting chief executive officer Tengku Datuk Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz.

Embedded image permalink

Tajudddin said this is part of the stock exchange's initiatives towards building financial literacy, especially among young executives.

"This inaugural Bursa Bull Charge is a physical demonstration of marketplace inclusiveness that we have been working hard at building up and hopefully, reach out to the wider community. This is one way for Bursa Malaysia to raise awareness and remind us of our responsibility to give back and invest in local communities," he said.

"We recognise the role of young executives as future leaders and entrepreneurs. By involving them in the Bursa Bull Charge to run alongside CEOs and captains of the industry, we hope young executives would feel inspired of the possibilities and opportunities available in the marketplace, be it a career or in building wealth", said Tajuddin.

All proceeds raised from the Bursa Bull Charge will be channeled to charity while Bursa Malaysia and the sponsor partners will absorb all costs incurred in organising the run.

Sunday, October 19, 2014

USAHA ......

Sent from my iPad Air

Begin forwarded message:

From: Zainal Zakariah <zainal5566@yahoo.com>
Date: 19 Oktober 2014 10:25:41 PG GMT+8
To: zainal5566@gmail.com
Subject: Untuk berjaya .....
Reply-To: Zainal Zakariah <zainal5566@yahoo.com>

Sent from Samsung Mobile

Simple Steps to LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE

STEP 1 - LEADERS ARE SECURE

Step 2 - Leaders build good teams

STEP 3 - LEADERS FOCUS ON THE RIGHT ISSUES

Step 4 - Leaders develop other leaders

STEP 5 - LEADERS EMBRACE CHANGE

Step 6 - Leaders cultivate good habits

STEP 7 - LEADERS DARE TO MAKE MISTAKES

Step 8 - Leaders are decisive

STEP 9 - LEADERS PRAISE AND RECOGNISE

Step 10 - Leaders persevere

STEP 11 - LEADERS PRACTISE WHAT THEY PREACH

Step 12 - Leaders understand the power of a smile

STEP 13 - LEADERS ARE GOOD COMMUNICATORS

Step 14 - Leaders empower rather than control

STEP 15 - LEADERS RELISH CHALLENGES

Step 16 - Leaders are constructive

STEP 17 - LEADERS ARE GOOD LEARNERS

Step 18 - Leaders associate with 'quality' people

STEP 19 - LEADERS DEVELOPE TRUST IN THEIR FOLLOWERS

Step 20 - Leaders are accountable

STEP 21 - LEADERS ACCEPT CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK

Step 22 - Leaders are visionaries

STEP 23 - LEADERS LEAD WITH INTERGRITY

Step 24 - Leaders clearly communicate expectations

STEP 25 - LEADERS ARE OPTIMISTS

Step 26 - Leaders take risks

STEP 27 - LEADERS RESPECT THEIR FOLLOWERS

Step 28 - Leaders are creative

STEP 29 - LEADERS ARE GOOD DELEGATORS

Step 30 - Leaders use the right leadership style

Source : Simple Steps to Leadership Excellence / Heera Singh

\speedbookreading

MYpalmoil

CBIP: Good order flow for Modipalm mills

Posted: 17 Oct 2014 07:07 PM PDT

Subang Jaya: CB INDUSTRIAL Product Holding Bhd (CBIP), which holds the patent for constructing Modipalm mills, said its current order book of some RM500 million will keep it busy for another 18 months.

CBIP managing director Lim Chai Beng said while low palm oil prices were slowing oil palm estate owners' investments, orders were still coming in for mill upgrades.

"We're getting orders, although there may be slight delays here and there. Out of the RM500 million orders to put up new mills and upgrade old ones, 70 per cent are from outside Malaysia.

"Old mills in Malaysia need to be upgraded and our Modipalm technology has been proven to minimise oil loss. This helps contribute to better oil extraction rates at the mills," Lim said after the company's extraordinary general meeting held here yesterday.

CBIP shareholders approved the company's plan to issue 1-for-1 bonus shares and free warrants.

Lim said oil palm planters have everything to gain if they upgraded their conventional mills to an automated Modipalm. Its continuous steriliser system is compact, he said, as it took up less space, fuel and labour; produced more and higher quality oil; and therefore, the overall impact is kinder to the environment.

At a Modipalm mill, there is no need for tractors and hydraulic skid-steer loaders or wire-rope winches to move the fruit-cages around. There is also no need for monorail hoists to lift the cages to the threshing machine.

This means less machinery to maintain and, in two shifts, the Modipalm mill needs only 30 workers, or half the staff strength to operate a conventional 60-tonne mill processing 300,000 tonnes of fresh fruit bunches in a year.

"Fewer workers also means less houses to be built on the plantation. So, you see, with tremendous improvement in safety and minimal oil wastage it is worthwhile to upgrade to a Modipalm mill," Lim said.

On CBIP's other sources of income, executive director Mak Chee Meng said the company's oil palm landbank in Indonesia totalled 65,000ha, of which about 10 per cent is planted up.

In Malaysia, CBIP has a joint venture with Tradewinds Group, with its portion of investment amounting to 7,500ha.

"We're now working hard to top up the landbank in Indonesia. We may be slow (in land acquisition) but we are sure in our investments because we go through all the legal compliance step by step," Mak said.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

MYpalmoil

Smallholders urged to apply for replanting grants

Posted: 13 Oct 2014 07:01 PM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR: Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas urged smallholders to apply for replanting grants to replace ageing oil palms with higher yielding seedlings.

Last Friday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, in his 2015 Budget speech, announced that RM41 million had been allocated for smallholders to embark on new plantings and replanting of their unproductive rubber and oil palm trees.

Smallholders are those who own 40ha or less.

When asked on the portion for the replanting of oil palms, Uggah said the allocation worked out to RM7,000 per hectare for oil palm land in Peninsular Malaysia and RM9,000 a hectare in Sabah and Sarawak.

This subsidy is meant to raise the annual national oil yield, which has been stagnating at below four tonnes a hectare over the last two decades.

It is hoped that by 2020, the annual fresh fruit bunch yield would improve to 26.2 tonnes a hectare from 21 tonnes currently.

In response, Malaysian Palm Oil Association chairman Roy Lim Kiam Chye urged the government to extend and top up replanting grants for all oil palm planters and not just the smallholders.

"Incentives to accelerate replanting at current low prices will ensure future competitiveness of the industry. The replanting grant is good for the smallholders but what about estate owners? They need to replant, too," he added.

Last Friday, the government also took a pre-emptive measure to extend the crude palm oil (CPO) export duty exemption until December.

"Although it is a good gesture from the government, it is common knowledge that at current price levels, CPO export duty is already zero. With the current global edible oils supply situation, prices are not likely to rise significantly to trigger the duty factor," he said.

Lim added that the exemption had levelled the playing field for Peninsular Malaysia exporters against those in Sabah and Sarawak. "If we look deeper, zero export duty has somewhat dented the advantage of producers in Sabah and Sarawak as they no longer enjoy the 30 per cent discount on duty."

Maybank Investment Bank senior analyst Ong Chee Ting concurred with MPOA, saying Malaysia's palm oil exports can be freely exported during these high production months until the end of the year. "It aims to quickly flush out incoming supplies to help a more sustained CPO price recovery next year."

On price forecast, Ong said CPO had lost its price competitiveness due to the recent slump in crude oil price and narrowed price discount to competing soyabean oil.

CPO price, therefore, needed to trade lower at RM2,000 per tonne to stimulate demand and flush out incoming supplies during these peak production months, Ong said.

"We think CPO prices will be under near-term price pressure to stimulate demand. We expect CPO prices to continue trading sideways at between RM1,900 and RM2,200 per tonne until early December. Hopefully, it closes the year above RM2,400 per tonne," he added.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

MYpalmoil

‘FGV ending pursuit of NBPOL’

Posted: 13 Oct 2014 03:46 AM PDT

This is written by my colleague Zaidi Isham Ismail.

KUALA LUMPUR: Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd (FGV) will not pursue the acquisition of New Britain Palm Oil Ltd (NBPOL) after Sime Darby Bhd's fresh RM5.63 billion offer for the planter.

A reliable source said FGV will not counter offer as it will be too expensive. "No, they will not continue to bid for NBPOL as it's too pricey," the source told Business Times.

After Sime Darby pulled out of the deal, FGV took the opportunity to bid for NBPOL but now that Sime Darby has made an about-turn, FGV will not push for it any more.

Sime Darby launched a general offer to buy all shares in NBPOL for £7.15 (or RM37.52) each last Thursday, less than two weeks after it had turned down the chance to buy Kulim (Malaysia) Bhd's 48.97 per cent stake in the London-listed NBPOL.

Sime Darby's offer is a 30 per cent premium over Kulim's previous offer of £5.50 a share to increase its stake in NBPOL.

"This acquisition is conditional upon Sime Darby obtaining 51 per cent voting rights in NBPOL," said Sime Darby president and group chief executive Tan Sri Bakke Salleh last week.

NBPOL owns about 80,000ha of oil palm plantations, more than 7,700ha of sugarcane land and a further 9,300ha of grazing pasture in Papua New Guinea. It also owns 12 mills and two refineries — one in Port Moresby and the other in Liverpool, the United Kingdom.

Sunday, October 12, 2014

MYpalmoil

Pricey offer for NBPOL justified

Posted: 10 Oct 2014 06:24 PM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR: SIME Darby Bhd may be paying a lot for New Britain Palm Oil Ltd (NBPOL), but this is justified by the latter's valuable assets, analysts said.

Affin Hwang Capital calculated that Sime Darby's general offer price of RM5.6 billion for all NBPOL shares works out to be an enterprise value per planted hectare of RM84,200 for the Papua New Guinea-based planter.

Although this looks high when compared with Felda Global Ventures Holding Bhd's proposed acquisition of Asia Plantations' estates in Sarawak, Affin Hwang said NBPOL has a better oil palm age profile, higher fruit yield and plantable reserves of 22,000ha.

The research house is positive on Sime Darby for seeking board and management control in NBPOL, and had upgraded its rating on the conglomerate. It thinks Sime Darby's shares can rise to RM9.31.

MIDF Research, too, is positive on Sime Darby buying NBPOL despite the £7.15 (or RM23) offer price representing a 85 per cent premium over NBPOL's last closing price on Wednesday.

"NBPOL is one of the best performing palm oil companies in the world with consistent fresh fruit bunch yield of more than 23 tonnes per hectare," it said yesterday.

While it valued Sime Darby's shares at RM9.70, MIDF Research has kept a "neutral" stance on its overall performance due to the risks of other businesses not performing well.

Sime Darby's net gearing is seen to be manageable. "We believe Sime Darby is able to increase its borrowings without jeopardising its credit risk," said MIDF Research.

Hong Leong Investment Bank (HLIB), meanwhile, has recommended a "hold" call and maintained Sime Darby's target share price at RM9.75. It noted that the high price tag of £7.15 per NBPOL share is justified, given the scarcity of sizeable brownfield plantation landbank. "NBPOL estates are seen to be a good platform for Sime Darby to expand into PNG's palm oil industry," it added.

HLIB said the acquisition would only raise Sime Darby's net gearing from 0.22 times to 0.44 times. "Earnings-wise, we estimate that the acquisition will add 2.5 per cent to Sime Darby's forecast earnings in the next financial year."

AmResearch Sdn Bhd has maintained a "buy" call on Sime Darby while valuing the conglomerate's shares at RM10.58. It viewed Sime Darby's offer as "pricey" at 22 times of next year's forecast earnings but admitted that this price tag had to be attractive enough to obtain a controlling stake of at least 51 per cent in NBPOL.

Saturday, October 11, 2014

MYpalmoil

Sime Darby makes RM5.63 billion offer for NBPOL

Posted: 09 Oct 2014 06:43 PM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR: Sime Darby Bhd is finally able to make a RM5.63 billion offer for New Britain Palm Oil Ltd's (NBPOL) hand in marriage, now that the Papua New Guinea (PNG) government has wholeheartedly given its blessing.

Sime Darby yesterday launched a general offer to buy all shares in NBPOL at £7.15 (or RM37.52) each. This was less than two weeks after it had turned down the chance to buy Kulim (Malaysia) Bhd's 49 per cent stake in London-listed NBPOL.

The cash offer is a 30 per cent premium over Kulim's previous offer of £5.50 a share to increase its stake in NBPOL.

"This acquisition is conditional upon Sime Darby obtaining 51 per cent voting rights in NBPOL," said Sime Darby president and group chief executive Tan Sri Bakke Salleh, here, yesterday.

He explained that "right from the start, Sime Darby was not only focusing on Kulim's block in NBPOL because ideally, we would like to end up with at least a 51 per cent stake so that we can assume both NBPOL's management and board control."

"In the course of our negotiations with the stakeholders, we realised the key factor here is to get the support from the PNG Government. Right till the last day of our exclusivity agreement with Kulim, which fell on September 28, we still had not received any written letter of confirmation from the PNG Government."

However, on October 1, Sime Darby finally obtained the support letter from PNG's Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, which paved the way for it to reactivate its proposed offer for NBPOL. O'Neill emphasised that this deal must be in line with PNG's national interest in relation to Rule 27A of the PNG Takeovers Code.

"It is not often that an opportunity such as this presents itself. The strategic fit between NBPOL and Sime Darby Plantation is the key factor that will ensure the success of this deal. We hope to complete this deal by year-end," Bakke told reporters in a briefing.

He then dished out NBPOL's vital statistics to support Sime Darby's offer. Among them is ownership of about 80,000ha of oil palm plantations, more than 7,700ha of sugar cane land and a further 9,300ha of grazing pasture in PNG. NBPOL also owns 12 mills and two refineries — one in Port Moresby, PNG, the other in Liverpool, the United Kingdom.

Post-acquisition, the combined landbank of the two companies would be nearly a million hectares, he said, adding Sime Darby shareholders can look forward to around five per cent contribution to the bottom line in the next couple of years, if the merger with NBPOL is a success.

Bakke also said there are plans to delist NBPOL from the London Stock Exchange. "The stock is illiquid and its current market price is not reflective of the value of the company. In the last 12 months, the average cumulative trading volume on the LSE and the Port Moresby Stock Exchange represents less than 1 per cent of the float.

"We believe it will be good to move NBPOL's listing from London to this part of the world, either to Bursa Malaysia or the Singapore Stock Exchange," he said.

Last night, NBPOL's largest shareholder, Kulim, told the stock exchange yesterday said it intends to accept Sime Darby's proposal, provided there is no higher offer. It will soon call for a shareholders' meeting to decide on this. If the deal goes through, Kulim will gain RM2.75 billion from the disposal.