The Group receives 16th RSPO certification for its Strategic Operating Unit

Kuala Lumpur, 8 November 2010 - Sime Darby has received its latest Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification for its Yong Peng Strategic Operating Unit (SOU) in Johor, putting it at the forefront of RSPO compliance.

The certification, received on 28 October 2010, brought the total number of RSPO-certified SOUs to 16. The Group's wholly-owned subsidiary, Sime Darby Plantation, operates 63 SOUs in total and aims to have all the SOUs certified by the end of 2011.

"This is yet another testimony to our strong commitment to the principle of sustainability. Sime Darby, as a founding member of RSPO, is committed to the eight principles of RSPO. Palm oil is a key commodity with growing global demand, and we ensure that it is produced without harming the environment, the society and the animals," says Dato’ Mohd Bakke Salleh, Acting President & Group Chief Executive of Sime Darby Berhad.

He adds that apart from being a food and ingredient resource, the oil palm industry also employs thousands of people worldwide.

"The humble palm oil touches millions of lives globally, and it is pleasing to note that Sime Darby plays an integral part in this aspect. We also take a firm stand that the production of palm oil must be done sustainably,"adds Dato’ Bakke.

Last year, Sime Darby sold 217,000MT of both Sustainable Crude Palm Oil (SCPO) and Sustainable Kernel Palm Oil (SKPO) through both certificate and physical sale. This demand is expected to continue growing in the years to come.

With this certification, Sime Darby now has the capacity to produce almost 532,000MT and 134,000MT of SCPO and SKPO, respectively.

"Our focussed and consistent approach in getting our SOUs certified means that Sime Darby will be at the forefront of the sustainable palm oil business when demand rises. As it stands today, the 16 certified SOUs means we are the world leader in terms of RSPO-certified SOUs," says Franki Anthony Dass, the Acting Executive Vice President of Sime Darby’s Plantation and Agribusiness Division.

Yong Peng Estate and Mill is located in Yong Peng, Johor. The mill gets its fresh fruit bunch (FFB) supply from nine other Sime Darby Plantation estates in the surrounding area. Cumulatively, the mill processes about 64,000MT of FFB a year.

Sime Darby Plantation’s first RSPO certification was obtained just over 2 years ago on 1 October 2008, for Sandakan Bay SOU in Sabah.