18/4/07 (The Star)  - Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said the state, which has 1.7 million hectares of peat soil land – or 63% of the country’s 2.7 million hectares – had planted oil palm trees on some 500,000ha of deep peat soil. 

“Peat soil has, for a long time, been considered unsuitable for agriculture use because of some very serious limitations to crop growth.

“This is due to high water table, very low fertility, high acidity and micro-nutrient deficiencies,” he said.

He added, however, that research and development by several agencies over the past 20 years had found that even deep peat soil could be made suitable for oil palm planting.

Among the agencies involved in the R&D were the Malaysian Palm Oil Board, the Malaysian Research and Development Institute, the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia and the state Agriculture Department.

“The focus of the development of the peat areas will entail more research and expertise from many disciplines to ensure sustainable use and conservation,” the chief minister added.

Taib said this in a speech read out by his deputy, Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam, at the opening of the three-day National Soils Science Conference here on Tuesday.

About 600 delegates, including those from Britain, Japan, Fiji, Pakistan, Iran and Asean countries, are attending the conference.

Themed Peat and Other Soil Factors in Crop Production, it is organised by the Malaysian Society of Soil Science, the state Agriculture Department and the Incorporated Society of Planters.

Dr Chan, who is the state Agriculture Modernisation Minister, later presented the MSSM Young Soil Scientist Award to state Agriculture Department senior research officer Dr Lulie Melling.