MARKET DEVELOPMENT
Dayak oil palm association concerned over sale of ‘fake’ oil palm seedlings
Dayak oil palm association concerned over sale of ‘fake’ oil palm seedlings
28.07.2022 (www.theborneopost.com) - MIRI (July 28): Dayak Oil Palm Planters Association (Doppa) is worried that smallholders may be duped into purchasing inferior quality seedlings by some unscrupulous nurseries profiteering from the high demand.
It warned smallholders to be vigilant on the authenticity of seedlings to avoid feeling cheated and angry when finding out that their palms are of inferior quality.
Doppa has received complaints that some unscrupulous licensed nurseries have been resorting to mixing seeds collected from plantations with those properly sourced to produce seedlings for sale in their bid to maximise profits.
Doppa secretary Incham Serdin thus advised smallholders to be on the alert and not buy ‘fake’ seedlings while the association is calling on regulatory body Malaysia Palm Oil Board (MPOB) to keep a hawk’s eye on such malpractices in the industry.
“MPOB must be vigilant in auditing and enforcing the rules on nursery players. Otherwise, the palm oil planters and the industry itself will be in trouble five years from now,” he told The Borneo Post.
The high demand for seedlings is partly fuelled by unprecedented CPO high prices over the past two years and eagerness to expand while new planters are eager to join the bandwagon.
In Malaysia, there are 838 nurseries licensed with MPOB, of which 361 have been registered with Code of Good Nursery Practice for Oil Palm Nurseries (CoPN). Of the 361 registered nurseries, a total of 212 have been certified. CoPN ensures that only high quality oil palm seedlings are produced.
The Borneo Post has reached out to Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities Datuk Willie Mongin and is awaiting his response to this issue raised by the association.
Meanwhile, Incham said Doppa was also concerned over the impact of high price of fertilisers and chemicals on Dayak planters in the state.
Despite the CPO prices plunging in the second half of this year, the prices of these farm inputs remained stubbornly high and this is a financial burden to smallholders who are already struggling with workers shortage.
The association, however, advised planters to keep their cost low and continue to apply fertilisers on their palms, even in reduced quantities, to remain sustainable.
“The price is not within planters’ control and we should be thankful for over two years of good prices,” Incham said.
Doppa has Koperasi Sawit Dayak Sarawak (Kosawida), which has interests in fertiliser and chemical supplies for the industry.
The cooperative in its first annual general meeting in Bintulu on Sept 29, 2018 adopted the resolution to take up fertilizer and chemical supply business apart from its long term plan on NCR land development or as a managing agent, owning and operating FFB collection centres as well as forging joint ventures on medium sized palm oil mill.