by Anthony Joseph, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on January 17, 2012, Tuesday
STUDY
TOUR: Sarawak Plantation group managing director Datuk Hamden Ahmad
(third left) accompanying Iskandar and other representatives to visit
Ladang 3.
MIRI: Active breeding and selection programmes
continue to be carried out by Sarawak Plantation Berhad under its Seed
Production Unit to develop high yield materials for commercial planting. Head
agronomist Azlan Ismail yesterday disclosed in a briefing to
representatives from P.T. Citra Widya Education from Indonesia that the
unit was the sole producer of germinated DxP seeds in Sarawak under the
brand name ‘Surea DxP’ which they started to produce in 2007.
The
group from One Shop Palm Oil Education and Training Centre was led by
its director R.B Iskandar Kristantoro on a familiarisation tour to Seed
Garden, Ladang 3 and Niah Palm Oil Mill (NPOM) owned by Sarawak
Plantation Berhad. It now produces 1.4 million seeds annually, and
the production will be increased once the 30-hectare second seed garden
starts producing in 2013.
“The total seed production for the group is projected to increase to five million seeds annually by 2014. “Through our collaboration with Malaysia Palm Oil Board (MPOB) in breeding programmes, our oil palm seeds can produce high fresh fruit bunch yield, high oil-to-bunch ratio and low height increment,” said Azlan.
Azlan
disclosed that a progeny trial covering an area of 74 hectares had been
carried out to gauge the planting material’s quality including
extraction ratio, height increment and tolerance to pests and diseases.
He
also said the group obtained Sirim’s Standard (MS 157:2005)
certification for the mother palms on June 13, 2008 and MPOB licence for
sales of seeds on October 8, the same year, both of which were renewed
on May 7 and October 1 last year respectively. “We also
participated in International Oil Palm Comparative Trial initiated by
MPOB to determine the performance of planting material from other seed
producers,” he explained.
Meanwhile, Sarawak Plantation Berhad
corporate finance manager Koay Bee Eng disclosed that Sarawak
Plantation, through one of its subsidiaries — Sarawak Plantation
Services Sdn Bhd (SPSSB) — operates a chemistry laboratory in Kuching,
which he said provides analytical services to its customers such as
government agencies, private oil palm plantations, fertiliser and
agrichemical suppliers and fertiliser mixing factories.
“The
laboratory is an accredited testing laboratory under MS ISO/IEC:
17025:2005 standard. The scope of accreditation includes analysis of
leaf, fertiliser, oil and water samples for their inorganic nutrient
contents,” said Koay. According to Koay, the laboratory’s mission
is to provide efficient, reliable, competitive and professional
analytical services to customers in accordance with international
standard requirements and regulations under MS ISO/IEC/17025:2005 and to
achieve and exceed customers’ satisfaction.
In 2010, the
laboratory analysed a total of 8,800 samples comprising fertilisers,
foliar, soil and other miscellaneous samples which included compost,
organic fertilisers, herbicide formulation and bunch ash.
“We
continue to promote our laboratory services and enhance its quality of
services with the aim of exceeding customers’ satisfaction and
expectation,” she said.
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