Soppoa to hold Palm Oil Milling Technology Exhibition & Confab in Miri Aug 8-9
11.06.2023 (The Borneo Post) - KUCHING (June 11): Sarawak Oil Palm Plantation Owners Association (Soppoa) will be organising a Palm Oil Milling Technology Exhibition & Conference (POMtec) 2023 in Miri on August 8 and 9.
Its chairman Eric Kiu Kwong Seng said Deputy Prime Minister Dato Sri Fadillah Yusof, who is also Minister of Plantation and Commodities, would declare open the conference.
Minister of Food Industry, Commodities and Regional Development Dato Sri Stephen Rundi is expected to close the conference.
Kiu said the conference would feature a distinguished line-up of industry experts and researchers who will share their expertise and insights through captivating presentations.
“A special paper will be presented by Deputy Minister of Energy and Environmental Sustainability Dr Hazland Abang Hipni.
“The exhibition will bring together leading technology providers, equipment manufacturers, and service providers who will showcase cutting-edge solutions and state-of-art machinery designed to optimize palm oil milling operations.
“Local learning institutions are also invited to showcase their research, academic programmes and contribution to the palm oil industry,” Kiu said in a statement.
He said that in recent years, there has been increasing attention on the by-products generated by palm oil mills due to growing focus on sustainability, circular economy practices, and need to reduce waste in the palm oil industry.
He said that a palm oil mill is a facility that processes fresh fruit bunches into crude palm oil and palm kernels.
According to him, in 2022 there were 84 palm oil mills in operation in Sarawak producing about 4.0 mil tonnes of crude palm oil and 895,000 tonnes of palm kernel.
“During the palm oil production, palm oil mills also generate waste. Palm oil mills’ wastes can be classified into two main categories namely solid waste that consists of empty fruit bunches, fiber and shells, and liquid waste or Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) which is water that contains organic and inorganic substances.
“These waste materials are considered by-products because they can be utilised for various purposes, making them valuable,” he said.
According to Kiu again, the POMtec 2023 is yet another groundbreaking event and marks a significant milestone for Soppoa.
He said Soppoa, founded in 2008, is a non-profit organisation comprising the majority of oil palm growers in Sarawak, with membership from plantation companies of various sizes including government land development agencies as well as independent smallholders.
On who should attend this conference, he said they can be palm oil mill owners, industry professionals, researchers, policy makers, or students, since this event offers a unique platform to unlock new opportunities, overcome challenge, and drive the industry forward by adopting the event’s theme ‘Toward Sustainable and Value-Added Business Operation’.