Association supports moratorium on oil palm
KUCHING: Sarawak Oil Palm Plantation Owners Association (Soppoa) fully supports the federal and state governments’ stance that there will be a moratorium on new oil palm planting in state lands in Sarawak.
The association said its members are open to providing assistance to smallholders and others in ensuring that their activities will be sustainable as the palm oil industry in Sarawak is moving towards certification under the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) standard.
“By being sustainably produced with MSPO, all palm oil produced from Sarawak can be certified which will ensure that our smallholders and others will enjoy better livelihood and prosperity throughout the state,” said a Soppoa spokesperson in a statement yesterday.
Since 2016, the Sarawak government had announced that there would be no new state land for oil palm planting.
Apart from that, Soppoa also urged the government to urgently look into the issue of workers shortage in the industry which is a major handicap in the state.
These were among the topics discussed when Soppoa members met up with Ministry of Primary
By being sustainably produced with MSPO, all palm oil produced from Sarawak can be certified which will ensure that our smallholders and others will enjoy better livelihood and prosperity throughout the state. Soppoa spokesperson
Industries ( MPI) Minister Teresa Kok in conjunction with her courtesy call on Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg recently.
On research and development ( R& D) activities in Sarawak, Soppoa expressed that more needs to be done to improve yields in the state, where at 3.12 tonnes/ha it is below the national average of 3.42 tonnes/ha.
“With research and better yields, productivity in Sarawak can increase substantially and towards this end, Soppoa is working in close collaboration with MPI and Malaysian Palm Oil Board ( MPOB) on topics of nutrition, fruit sets, pest control and others.
“The palm oil industry in Sarawak is fully supportive of federal and state governments’ efforts to ensure that the industry will continue to flourish and bring greater developments to the nation and state.”
The association also expressed their gratitude to Kok for her tireless efforts in explaining to the European Union ( EU) why palm oil should not be banned as a feedstock for biofuel after 2030 in EU.
“The ministry’s efforts and determination in the matter had been headline news in Malaysia and elsewhere as the proposed ban by EU parliament is nothing short of discriminatory and without scientific evidence or support.
“It is also heartening to note that Sarawak state government is also fully in support of MPI’s effort in ensuring that palm oil will not be banned for biofuel in Europe,” said the Soppoa spokesperson.
Meanwhile, Soppoa has elected new office bearers for the 2019-2021 term at its recent Annual General Meeting with Tiong Chiong Ong elected as chairman while Dato Sri Lau Kiu Kiong and Iswandi Ayub were elected as first and second vice chairmen respectively.