KUCHING: The Sarawak Oil Palm Plantation Owners Association (Soppoa) has suggested that more research and development (R&D) activities be carried out to improve oil palm yields in the state.
Currently, the yield is recorded at 3.12 tonnes per hectare which is below the national average of 3.42 tonnes per hectare, it said in a press statement today.
“With research and better yields, the productivity in Sarawak can increase substantially.
“Towards this end, Soppoa is working in close collaboration with Primary Industries Ministry and Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) on topics of nutrition, fruit sets, pest control and others,” said Soppoa.
The association said the palm oil industry in Sarawak is fully supportive of the federal and state governments’ efforts to ensure that the industry will continue to flourish and bring greater development to the nation and state.
On Soppoa council members meeting with Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok while she was here to pay a courtesy call on Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg recently, Soppoa said it concurred with the ministry on various matters discussed.
These included the moratorium on new state land for oil palm planting in Sarawak, providing assistance to smallholders throughout the state and more research and development (R&D) activities in Sarawak to improve yields.
“Foremost, Soppoa is thankful to the minister for her tireless efforts to explain to the European Union (EU) on reasons why palm oil should not be banned as a feedstock for biofuel after 2030 in EU.
“The ministry’s efforts and determination in the matter had been headlines news in Malaysia and elsewhere as the proposed ban by EU parliament is nothing short of discriminatory and without scientific evidence or support,” it added.
Soppoa said it was heartening to note that the state government was fully supportive of the minister’s effort in ensuring that palm oil would not be banned for biofuel in Europe.
On a separate issue, Soppoa said it fully supported the federal and state governments’ stance that there would be a moratorium on new oil palm planting on state lands in Sarawak.
The state government had since 2016, announced that there would be no new state land for oil palm planting.
The statement said Soppoa members were open to providing smallholders and other forms of assistance in ensuring that their activities will be sustainable as the palm oil industry in Sarawak moves towards certification under the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) standard.
With MSPO, all palm oil produced from Sarawak could be certified and this would ensure that local smallholders and others would enjoy better livelihood and prosperity throughout the state, it added.
Soppoa urged the government to urgently look into the issue of worker shortage in the industry which is a major handicap here.
On Soppoa’s new office bearers for the 2019–2021 term elected at its annual general meeting held on March 19, the statement revealed that Tiong Chiong Ong was retained as the chairman.
Other office bearers are Datuk Seri Lau Kiu Kiong as first vice chairman, Iswandi Ayub (second vice chairman), Datuk Ha Tiung Noon (secretary), Mo Ping Ping (deputy secretary), William Yii Hee Poh (treasurer) and Daniel Ding Huong Chen (deputy treasurer).
