05/02/2013 (Borneo Post) - Imposing a moratorium on planting of palm oil on peat soil is economically and socially unacceptable especially to the rural folk.

So far, 400,000 ha of peat soil in the state had been planted with oil palm and these small holdings and plantations provide employment for 40,000 people.

“You cannot stop people from using peat soil to generate income,” said Land Development Minister Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing at a media briefing held at Tropical Peat Research Laboratory Unit here yesterday.

Masing said this in response to a recent call by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) de-facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for a moratorium on planting of oil palm on peat soil.

The Baleh assemblyman believed that Anwar had been dancing to the tune of western NGOs without truly understanding the issue and realising that it was an attempt by the NGOs to turn an economic rivalry into an environmental issue.

“Basically it is economic rivalry. Rapeseeds and soya beans cannot compete against palm oil in yield and costs so they turn it into an environmental issue.”

Masing added the opposition leader should not delve into issues he was not familiar with and beyond his understanding.

“Anwar called for a moratorium on oil palm cultivation on peat swamps, just because he assumed that we produced carbon dioxide when draining the swamps.

“Scientific studies have proven that oil palm is more environmental friendly and yields more oil than other crops,” said Masing, referring to studies by Tropical Peat Research Laboratory Unit director Dr Lulie Melling.

Lulie’s research found out that the carbon dioxide emission of oil palm plantations, secondary forest and peat swamp forest did not vary much.

Masing believed that Sarawak the state had been fighting a lonely battle against threats from foreign NGOs as Malaysia Palm Oil Association had not been supportive to the state’s stand on planting oil palm on peat soil.

Pointing out that Sarawak and Indonesia only had 10 per cent of the total peat soil area in the world Masing argued how the rest of the world utilise their peatland would have more impact on the environment.

Lulie strengthened Masing’s argument by debunking the myth that oil palm yield was low on peat soil.

“Now oil palm plantation on peat can yield 25 tonnes per ha while yields o from mineral soil can only yield close to 18 tonnes per ha. It is all about management, the size is not a problem anymore,” said Lulie.