IJM's diversification strategy also saw its entry into the oil palm plantation business.

Incorporated in 1985, IJM Plantations has an extensive area of well-managed oil palm plantations of over 22,000 hectares comprising of 14 estates and a plantable reserve of 8,000 hectares in Sandakan, Sabah.

Complementing the plantations, the Division has three palm oil mills capable of processing 750,000 tonnes of oil palm fruits per year. These state-of-the-art processing mills consistently produce results above the industry's average. In addition, the Division has set up a palm kernel crushing plant with a capacity of 250 tonnes per day for the processing of by-products.

Significant investments have also been made in Research and Development and training to maintain the Division's competitive edge well into the future. A Research and Training Centre has been established for this purpose along with trials on oil palm variety improvement and agronomy. Training programs have been initiated to keep staff abreast with the latest best practices and to enhance operational efficiencies. The Division takes pride in its own production of quality hybrid seeds to meet the demands of its expansion.

The Division's other complementary and downstream activities include the trading of agrochemical and fertilizers and agromanagement services. Activities in the pipeline include port and bulking services for the industry.

IJM Plantations was listed on the main board of the Malaysia Securities Exchange Berhad (MSEB) in July 2003 and is now an associate company of the IJM Group.