22.01.2024 (The Star) - PETALING JAYA: Oil palm smallholders are getting ready with preventive measures for the dry season anticipated after February, which may affect their yield.

Smallholder Paul Wong Yin Soon said there would be a dry season every year.

“We begin taking preventive measures in early January. I started doubling the fertilisation and irrigation this month.

“It usually takes one to two months for the oil palm trees to absorb the nutrients and moisture from the soil.

“So, after applying a large amount of fertiliser and irrigation now, we wait for one to two months for the oil palm trees to absorb.

“Even if a major drought occurs in March, the oil palm trees can still bloom and bear fruit,” he said in an interview.

He said that with sufficient fertilisation, the oil palm fruits could continue to yield good results.

The highest oil palm harvest is from April to November.

“After planting for six years, the oil palm fruits will be large and of good quality,” he said.

The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) has anticipated a potential decrease of one to three million tonnes in Malaysia’s crude palm oil production next year, attributed to the El Nino weather pattern.

In 2022, the gross domestic product (GDP) contribution from palm oil in Malaysia was estimated to be at 2.4%, with palm oil being one of Malaysia’s primary industries, and its main agricultural export globally.

Malaysia is currently the world’s second largest palm oil producing country, with China among the top importers.

In a statement, the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) said the current El Nino phenomenon, though present, was not as severe as the one experienced in 2015, to affect oil palm yields.

Comparing it to the benchmark set in 2015, its chief executive officer Belvinder Kaur Sron suggested that the current El Nino was likely to conclude between April and June of this year, which aligned with the predictions made by MetMalaysia.

Belvinder said the latest data from the MPOC indicated an expected improvement in the El Nino condition in the coming months.

The onset of El Nino, she said, had even contributed to a boost in Malaysia’s palm oil production, resulting in an increase of 0.16 million tonnes in the last quarter of 2023.

“This marks the highest level of production since 2018, reaching 5.27 million tonnes compared to 5.11 million tonnes during the same period in 2022.

“This upward trend is projected to continue into the first quarter of 2024, with a 1% growth forecast for Malaysian palm oil production, reaching 18.75 million tonnes throughout the year,” she said.

Amid these favourable conditions, MPOC, she said, remained optimistic about the industry’s performance, signalling positive prospects for the Malaysian palm oil sector in the coming months.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/01/22/oil-palm-smallholders-all-set-for-dry-season