KUCHING: Sarawak Oil Palm Plantation Owners Association (Soppoa) has claimed that the quality of fertilisers supplied in Sarawak is less than satisfactory.

A spokesman said in a statement yesterday that since the beginning of the year, various organisations in the agricultural industry in Sarawak have voiced that the quality of fertilisers supplied may not be up to the contract specifications.

He pointed out the compound and mixture of fertilisers in particular received the most complaints from farmers and planters, prompting the Soppoa to raise the question of whether the right specifications and contents of these fertilisers have been delivered to buyers.

“Apparently, the standard of these fertilisers supplied are below expectations based on their specifications and standards stamped on the covers,” said the Soppoa spokesman.

“Based on random checking by some plantation companies, it was noted that the quality and content of fertilisers are not as per specification contracted.

“Farmers and estates owners noticed that these fertilisers have not been as effective as they should be, since beginning of this year and are very concerned about the quality.”

He disclosed most users like smallholders, and even some estates, have no means of checking the quality of these fertilisers and so are unable to verify the actual content and specifications.

“Naturally, we don’t want the small farmers to be shortchanged for their hard earned money, especially when fertilisers are always rising in cost. We hope the relevant authorities can monitor the situation in the state to ensure that the fertilisers are of genuine quality and standard,” he stated.

Based on the oil palm industry’s standard practices, fertilisers can constitute about 40 per cent of production cost in an oil palm estate in Sarawak and could be even higher for smallholders who do not usually purchase in bulk.

As such, he said, Soppoa is calling for better control and checks on the quality of supply of fertilizers in the state to ensure that our farmers are not deceived by unscrupulous suppliers and packagers of fertilisers.

“In the long term, everyone will suffer if suppliers of fertiliser shortchange the users as the productivity of crops will drop which will make farmers even less able to buy fertilisers.

“So, we urge the authorities concerned to look into the matter urgently and to ensure that standard quality fertilisers are being distributed in the state,” he added.

Taken from The Borneo Post