Monday, April 30, 2012

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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