SIBU: The Sarawak Oil Palm Plantation Owners Association (Soppoa) and Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) jointly held a workshop recently in Sibu which was attended by over 70 participants to Enhance Productivity and Improve Overall Performances in Plantation Management in the Palm Oil Industry in Sarawak.
The event saw a host of issues being raised such as causes of poor fruit set, pests and diseases were deliberated with the aim to enhance the productivity of local palm oil industry.
A dialogue session between MPOB’s Director General, Datuk Dr Choo Yuen May and Soppoa participating members was also held at the end of the workshop where pertinent issues affecting Sarawak palm oil industry were raised.
Among said topics was the installation of biogas trapping and methane avoidance facilities.
“In view of the sizeable sum required for the installation, Soppoa appealed to MPOB for an exemption for Sarawak millers until such time a mechanism is in place for the excess power generated to be sold to an offtaker based on a feed-in-tariff to be established,” Soppoa said in a statement yesterday.
“This is because without an offtaker or Power Purchase Agreement, there’s no way Sarawak millers can recoup the huge installation cost, keeping in mind that Sarawak palm oil industry is comparatively young compared to our West Malaysian counterparts.”
Another topic was the issuance of licences for collection centres. There have been cases where licences have been issued for operators to set up their collection centres in close proximity to Soppoa member estates.
Soppoa appealed to MPOB to ensure strict criteria are adhered to in issuing licences for collection centres to ensure that the interests of members’ estates are always safeguarded specifically with respect to harvesting and sales of FFB. Ideally, feedbacks from Soppoa’s member estates in the vicinity should be sought and considered before approval of DF licences for FFB collection centres.
“It was also highlighted during the dialogue that Sarawak palm oil industry is still facing a shortage of manpower,” Soppoa added. “It is a well-known fact that many locals shun menial plantation works which they regard as hard labour.
“Many member estates are carrying out mechanisation of field works such as FFB evacuation but more time and efforts are needed to determine the most effective and viable method due to the challenging characteristics of peat ground condition.
“Since potential losses are huge, undisrupted supply of suitable manpower without unjustifiable increase in levy is critically important for the wellbeing of the whole industry.”
During the workshop, the MPOB informed that a new incentive scheme under RMK-11 will be offered to estates that are interested to implement mechanization.
The incentive, in which the application procedure is still being worked out by MPOB, will involve a 20 per cent discount on the price of the approved equipment and machinery.
“The subsidy scheme is primarily for FFB evacuation machinery as well as for harvesting equipment, but excluding lorries and tractors.
“Soppoa also appealed to MPOB to conduct more scientific studies on the issues of poor fruit set and low oil extraction rate (OER) in Sarawak. It has been shown in recent statistics that the FFB output and OER in Sarawak has shown a decline, especially from peat areas.”
Taken from The Borneo Post
