MARKET DEVELOPMENT
Oil Palm Mechanisation Competition Offers More Than RM1 Million Cash Prizes
Oil Palm Mechanisation Competition Offers More Than RM1 Million Cash Prizes
05/03/2014 (Bernama) - Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) is organising the International Competition on Oil Palm Mechanisation (ICOPM), offering more than RM1 million in cash prizes.
ICOPM, which starts this month, aims to further promote the development of technologies that will raise the level of mechanisation in the country's oil palm upstream sector to make the industry less labour dependent.
Announcing the competition at the launch of Palm and Lauric Oils Conference and Exhibition (POC 2014) here today, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the oil palm industry, particularly the upstream activities, is very dependent on labour.
"I am optimistic this endeavour will contribute in realising new and innovative ideas from the industry and researchers, taking into account the need for further mechanisation activities in the oil palm sector," he said.
The competition is divided into four categories of invention and innovation, specifically harvesting technology; loose fruit collection technology; fresh fruit bunches (FFB) evacuation technology; and crop care technology.
Winners of each category stand to win cash prizes with total prize monies of RM500,000. A special prize of RM1 million will be given to the outstanding winner of the mechanisation technology that can transform the oil palm industry.
An independent panel of distinguished local and international professionals will be appointed to evaluate all entries, where they will assess the functionality and practicality of the inventions and this will pave the way for eventual commercialisation of the technology.
The deadline to submit the entries is on 31 May 2014 and details on the competition are available at www.mpob.gov.my/ICOPM.
ICOPM, which starts this month, aims to further promote the development of technologies that will raise the level of mechanisation in the country's oil palm upstream sector to make the industry less labour dependent.
Announcing the competition at the launch of Palm and Lauric Oils Conference and Exhibition (POC 2014) here today, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the oil palm industry, particularly the upstream activities, is very dependent on labour.
"I am optimistic this endeavour will contribute in realising new and innovative ideas from the industry and researchers, taking into account the need for further mechanisation activities in the oil palm sector," he said.
The competition is divided into four categories of invention and innovation, specifically harvesting technology; loose fruit collection technology; fresh fruit bunches (FFB) evacuation technology; and crop care technology.
Winners of each category stand to win cash prizes with total prize monies of RM500,000. A special prize of RM1 million will be given to the outstanding winner of the mechanisation technology that can transform the oil palm industry.
An independent panel of distinguished local and international professionals will be appointed to evaluate all entries, where they will assess the functionality and practicality of the inventions and this will pave the way for eventual commercialisation of the technology.
The deadline to submit the entries is on 31 May 2014 and details on the competition are available at www.mpob.gov.my/ICOPM.