Wilmar and Noble palm joint venture in Indonesia's Papua stalls

SINGAPORE: A planned venture between Wilmar International and Noble Group Ltd to develop palm plantations in Indonesia's Papua region has stalled just months after it was announced as it failed to win approval from authorities.

Palm oil companies have been looking at expanding in so-called frontier markets such as Papua, but face hurdles ranging from regulatory uncertainty and lack of infrastructure to manpower shortages and resistance from locals and environmentalists.