THE golden years of investing in the palm oil industry appear to be over. Declining crude palm oil (CPO) prices top the list, but there are more challenges. Over the last few years, cost pressures have mounted on oil palm planters.

Compounding matters is the blame levelled on the palm oil industry for the dreadful haze phenomenon which has hit the sector hard with negative publicity. This is despite the industry’s claim that it has spent billions of ringgit on sustainable practices.