14/4/07 KUCHING (The Star)  -  The state Agriculture Department has refuted a claim by European-based non-governmental organisations that oil palm plantations on peat soil produce excessive carbon dioxide and contribute to global warming.

“We have data to prove that the allegations are false. Our research has shown that peat soil produces three times less than the normal emission of gas from other soils,” said Dr Lulie Melling, a senior research officer at the department. 

She said the NGOs had in their recent reports tried to influence the United Nations and the European Union to ban the purchase of palm oil sourced from plantations on peat soil.

The department’s soil management head, Lah Jau Uyo, said the national soil science conference here next week would provide a good platform for the correct information on peat soil to be passed to participants, who will include those from Britain, the Netherlands and Japan, to counter the NGOs' allegations.

Jau said that if the NGOs succeeded in their attempts to influence the United Nations and the European Union, it would have a negative effect on Malaysia, particularly Sarawak which had about a million hectares of oil palm plantations on peat soil.