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During the past three decades, Malaysia witnessed a 23% increase in its processing facilities from 352 mills in 1984 to 432 mills in 2014 to produce crude palm oil (CPO) and palm kernel (PK). But the rapid expansion of the Indonesian palm oil production seem to trigger an unhealthy supply and demand relationship in the global oil market for palm oil. Now, with … Read more

Palm oil milling is invariably accompanied by the generation of effluent. Palm oil mill effluent (POME) is a potential environmental pollutant. On average, 1.5 m3 water is needed to process 1 t of fresh fruit bunches and half of this ends up as POME. Currently, some 85% of POME treatment of more than 400 mills … Read more

The oil palm has three naturally occurring fruit forms, varying in shell thickness: i) thick shell dura, ii) thin shell tenera, and iii) shell-less pisifera (Figure 1). Teneras are hybrids between the dura and pisifera, and the preferred commercial planting material. Oil yield of tenera is up to 30% higher than the dura, while pisifera is female sterile and does not usually produce matured bunches.  Main Research: Dr Rajinder Sing

Feed is one of the major success factors in livestock enterprise for intensive production system. Intensive production system relies ultimately on a good feed supply in term of quantity and quality. Feed quality has direct impact on livestock performance especially on body conformation, breeding efficiency and milk production. With intensive livestock integration in place, therefore it is important to have a good fodder supply … Read more

The basal stem rot (BSR) disease in oil palm is caused by the wood decaying fungi, Ganoderma boninense (Figure 1). It is a serious disease especially in the replanted areas from old oil palm and coconut and remain as a major disease of oil palm in South-east Asia. Ganoderma produces enzymes that degrade the oil palm tissue which … Read more