Sime Plantation to help boost Sarawak's palm oil industry

Sime Darby Plantation Bhd will help boost Sarawak's palm oil industry standards in terms of operational efficiency and productivity in a tie up with Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Salcra).

KUALA LUMPUR: Sime Darby Plantation Bhd will help boost Sarawak's  palm oil industry standards in terms of operational efficiency and productivity in a tie up with Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Salcra).

Both parties had on Tuesday signed an MoU to work together to :establish, strengthen and encourage synergistic commercial cooperation along the palm oil value chain”. 

“The collaboration is intended to uplift Sarawak’s palm oil industry standards in terms of operational efficiency and productivity through best agronomic practices and to inculcate and enhance sustainability awareness for higher 

operational performance and bottom-line achievement,” Sime Plantation said in a statement.

Under the MoU, Sime Plantation and Salcra will combine their resources and expertise to work together, collaborate, evaluate and research on matters relating to the palm value chain and related agronomic inputs.

Sime Plantation said the areas which they would work together were: 

(a) agricultural materials such as oil palm seedlings and saplings, cover crop seeds, fertiliser, herbicide, pesticide, agro-chemicals and agricultural tools; 

(b) management, consultancy services and training in respect of oil palm plantation development, cultivation and processing; new planting and replanting exercises and good practices; 

(c) consultancy services in respect of planning and development of palm oil mills, waste management, refinery, kernel crushing plant, oleo chemical and other related downstream activities; and

(d) laboratory analytical services. 

The MoU also includes any other activities that are mutually beneficial to the Parties such as logistics and activities connected to rubber plantation and other agricultural businesses. 

The MoU was signed by Salcra acting general manager Joseph Blandoi and Sime Plantation chief strategy and innovation officer Dr Shariman Alwani at Salcra head office in Kota Samarahan, Sarawak.

It was witnessed by Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who is also Salcra chairman; permanent secretary for Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development Datuk Ik Pahon Joyik, and Sime Plantation executive deputy chairman and managing director Tan Sri  Mohd Bakke Salleh.