1) Lack of manpower resources
2) Incurable oil palm disease - Ganoderma Basal Stem Rot (BSR)

The Ganoderma Basal Stem Rot (BSR) disease is caused by bracket fungus Ganoderma. It is lethal and incurable for more than 50 years now.  During replanting, if the old oil palm trunks are left to rot on the ground, various fruiting bodies of Ganoderma may be produced and thrive. Ganoderma Basal Stem Rot (BSR) is fast becoming a major threat to oil palm cultivation and palm oil production in Malaysia.

It is difficult to  control the spread of basal stem rot fungus disease. In oil palms, the main causal agent of this disease is the fungus Ganoderma species. This major agricultural problem particularly found in oil palm and coconut plantations. It can cause half of the plant mortality in palm population in seriously affected areas within 10 years of attack.

Ganoderma species attacks start from the palm roots and gradually spread to the bole of the stem, causing dry rot, thus preventing nutrients from being absorbed by the soft tissues. The palm will gradually lose its ability to produce fruits and eventually collapse. One feature of Ganderma spp. is the persistence of the pathogens in infected woody tissues and soil borne debris allowing the disease to reappear in oil palm estates which are doing their second or even third replanting.

It is critical to conserve the present oil palm land by controlling the spread of the disease.

BSR disease field observations carried out in Indonesia on a series of planting materials shown that differences in susceptibility to the disease have been detected within Elaeis guineensis and Elaeis oleifera. Within Elaeis guineensis, material of Deli origin is highly susceptible compared to material of African origin.

Malaysia in 2001 alone, produced  1.4 million tones of palm kernel oil together with 1.6 million tones of Palm kernel cake (PKC) as its by product from 3 million tones of palm kernel

Currently, most of the Palm kernel cake (PKC) produced in Malaysia is exported at a low price to Europe for use as cattle feed concentrates in dairy cows.

Palm kernel cake (PKC) is an established feed ingredient for ruminants, supplying valuable dietary sources of protein, energy and fiber. Palm kernel cake (PKC) has also been successfully tested in poultry feeds at low levels of incorporation. The low cost and availability of Palm kernel cake (PKC) in many tropical countries where aquaculture is practiced have recently generated much interest in its potential use in fish diets.

POME is the wastewater from palm oil industry. It is a colloidal suspension which is 95-96% water, 0.6-0.7% oil and 4-5% total solids including 2-4% suspended solids originating in the mixing of sterilizer condensate, separator sludge and hydrocyclone wastewater. POME contains 4,000 mg dm^-3 of oil and grease, which is relatively high compared to the limit of only 50 mg dm^-3 set by the Malaysian Department of Environment

Empty fruit bunch from an palm oil mill in Malaysia

Mg application if deficiency symptoms are noticed. Fertilizers are preferably applied in two equal split doses (May and September), within 2 m diameter around the palm.

Supply of sufficient quantities of green leaf or compost is advantageous, especially where the soil is poor in organic matter.
 

More about fertilizer : Comparison between organic fertilizer and chemical fertilizer :  Detail...

FFB Fresh Fruit Bunch - Oil palms are grown for their clusters of fruit, which can weigh 40-50 kg. Upon harvest, the drupe, pericarp and seeds are used for production of soap and edible vegetable oil.

Harvesting is carried out using either a chisel or a sickle, depending on the height of the palms. The FFB is harvested by cutting through the bunch stalk and carried manually to the roadside for transportation to palm oil mill.

The palm oil plantations covering more than 700,000 hectares in East Sabah  where suitable agricultural land are available . Sabah's agriculture land has the highest yield of oil palm fresh fruit bunch per hectare.

Sabah's Oil Palm Sector is mainly confined to the primary processing of oil palm. Presently, there are 58 palm oil mills in Sabah producing crude palm oil , palm kernel oil and palm kernel cake. Only a small number of refineries producing higher value added oil palm products.

The Oil Palm Sector is an important sector the  economy. In terms of export earning, oil palm  contributes more than 30 per cent of the total income from exports. In 1998, exports of palm oil reached a record of RM5 billion. Sabah is the largest producer of crude palm oil in Malaysia contributing  25% of the total production of crude palm oil in Malaysia.

What is oil palm used for, where is oil palm planted & produced, where is the oil consumed?

West African have traditionally used Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) to make foodstuffs, medicines, woven material and wine. Now the palm is planted in large-scale plantations throughout the tropics countries because it is used in commercial products like cooking oil, soap, cosmetics and margarine.

Crude Palm Oil (CPO) is the primary product derived from the red seeds of the oil palm

Palm Kernel Oil (PKO), derived from the fruit’s nut is considered to be a secondary product.

Palm Kernel Meal (PKM) is primarily used for animal feed.


Oil palm plantations have primarily expanded in the top two palm oil producing countries : Malaysia and Indonesia.

Malaysia produced amost 50% of world palm oil production, while Indonesia produced 30%.

World demand for palm oil has been increasing dramatically. Most of this palm oil was consumed in Asia.

Old Oil Palm Trees

Oil palm is Sabah's largest agricultural crop with over 1 million ha planted, almost all In the east coast. The Tawau and Sandakan Residencies have about 436,000 ha and 592,000 ha respectively.

Malaysia produces about 50% of the world's palm oil. The value of palm oil exports In 2003 was RM 26.15 billion.

There is roughly 1 oil palm mill for every 10,000 ha of oil palm planted.

Pure palm oil is the best vegetable at to use for frying food.

EFB - Natural Solid Wastes : EFB (Empty Fruit Bunch) is solid waste generated in oil palm planted throughout Malaysia over 4 million hectares land, which remains unutilized commercially.

Mature trees are single-stemmed, and grow to 20 m tall. The leaves are pinnate, and reach between 3-5 m long. A young tree produces about 30 leaves a year. Established trees over 10 years produce about 20 leaves a year.

The flowers are produced in dense clusters; each individual flower is small, with three sepals and three petals.

The fruit takes six months to mature from pollination to maturity; it comprises an oily, fleshy outer layer (the pericarp), with a single seed (kernel), also rich in oil. Unlike its relative, the Coconut Palm, the oil palm does not produce offshoots; propagation is by sowing the seeds.

West African oil palm today has become an international oil crop from its commercial plantation center in Malaysia and Indonesia.

Country

Jan-May 2005

Jan-May 2006

Change

Jan-Dec 2005

China

1,104,280

1,138,234

993,698

1,053,498

Pakistan

334,980

293,742

412,203

157,067

213,644

97,040

221,343

269,968