Colombia could produce up to 2.5 million tonnes of palm oil annually within the next five years, a 56 percent increase over 2017 output, the president of the country's palm federation said on Friday. The increase, which will come as palm crops mature and produce more oil, would make the Andean nation the world's third largest supplier of the product, behind Indonesia and Malaysia, Jens Mesa, president of Fedepalma, told Reuters.
In 2017, palm oil production in Colombia grew 42 percent, compared with the previous year, to 1.6 million tonnes, due to increased flowering of recently planted crops. Colombia has more than 500,000 hectares (1.2 million acres) planted with palm. Palm oil is used in a wide range of food and household products, from cookies and ice cream to soups and cosmetics, as well as in biofuels.
"Colombia, with what it already has planted, could grow to more than 2.5 million tonnes of oil," Mesa said. "We are working to develop these hectares, to reach their maximum output." Thailand, the third-largest producer of palm oil, had production of 2.28 million tonnes last year, according to figures from its central bank. "I think this could happen in a few years because the palms are already planted, production is developing, there's adoption of good practices and what that translates to in four or five years, it does not seem like an unrealistic aim," he added.
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