Sarawak growers appeal against stringent guidelines
KUALA LUMPUR: The Sarawak Oil Palm Plantation Owners Association (SOPPOA) is appealing to the authorities against stringent guidelines which, it says, are putting the state’s palm oil industry at a disadvantage.
In a statement, SOPPOA said mills in Sarawak could not meet the 24.5 per cent oil extraction rate (OER) and kernel extraction rate (KER) requirement set by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB).
As a result, any applications for an increase of mill processing capacity would be rejected, which the association said would inhibit expansion plans.
SAPPOA said the low oil yields harvested in the state were due to poor fruit sets experienced in many estates in Sarawak, in particular along the coastal belt from Baram to Mukah.
“This low extraction rate has been the case for the last five years.
“MPOB researchers have conducted tests but are still unable to identify the cause of the low yields,” it added.
SAPPOA said the root causes for the poor fruit set yields should first be ascertained before unilateral decisions were made.
“There is a need for more research into the issues affecting poor fruit sets and yields, as the current situation will only result in loss of revenue to companies and the government.
“For starters, the authorities should relax the 24 per cent ruling for the time being until a solution is found to solve the low oil extraction yields experienced in the state,” it said.
SOPPOA is appealing to the Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry, MPOB and the state government to look into the matter before more damage is done to the industry as a whole.