MARKET DEVELOPMENT
Seminar to Address Oil Palm Issues
Seminar to Address Oil Palm Issues
02/10/2014 (Business Times) - Local planters will discuss issues confronting the oil palm industry in Sabah and Sarawak at a seminar in Sandakan on October 17.
East Malaysia Planters Association chairman Datuk Othman Walat, who is also Sawit Kinabalu Group managing director, said the planters will deliberate on issues that need to be resolved in the near future and discuss moves that will benefit smallholders, planters and plantation owners.
These include the Goods and Services Tax, labour shortage and recruitment, peat planting faced by Sarawak members and management of mill wastes in relation to environment and regulatory requirements.
“Ganoderma disease also continues to be a threat in most plantations in Sabah and Sarawak.
“In severe cases, yield reduction of as high as 40 per cent of the crops has been reported.
“Unfortunately, research on more cost-effective methods jointly mooted by MPOB, UMS and EMPA are still on-going. Long-proven experiences on this disease will be shared by experts from United Plantations during the seminar,” he said.
Othman said the seminar would provide a platform to present ideas and proposals to mitigate these issues.
Eight experts will be presenting their views on the plantation indus-try.
Topics include oil palm replanting, labour productivity enhancement through large-scale mechanisation and effective weed management.
East Malaysia Planters Association chairman Datuk Othman Walat, who is also Sawit Kinabalu Group managing director, said the planters will deliberate on issues that need to be resolved in the near future and discuss moves that will benefit smallholders, planters and plantation owners.
These include the Goods and Services Tax, labour shortage and recruitment, peat planting faced by Sarawak members and management of mill wastes in relation to environment and regulatory requirements.
“Ganoderma disease also continues to be a threat in most plantations in Sabah and Sarawak.
“In severe cases, yield reduction of as high as 40 per cent of the crops has been reported.
“Unfortunately, research on more cost-effective methods jointly mooted by MPOB, UMS and EMPA are still on-going. Long-proven experiences on this disease will be shared by experts from United Plantations during the seminar,” he said.
Othman said the seminar would provide a platform to present ideas and proposals to mitigate these issues.
Eight experts will be presenting their views on the plantation indus-try.
Topics include oil palm replanting, labour productivity enhancement through large-scale mechanisation and effective weed management.