SERDANG, 16th January- Institute of Plantation Studies Post Graduate Student Club (IKPPGSC) in collaboration with the Institute of Plantation Studies (IKP) and Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) successfully organized an industrial talk entitled "Latest Developments in the Plantation Sector" by distinguished speaker, Dato Carl Bek-Nielsen, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Director of United Plantations Berhad. He is also appointed as Chairman of the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) and council member of the Malaysian Palm Oil Association (MPOA). This program was attended by YDM Dato' Syed Haizam Hishamuddin Putra Jamalullail (Member of the UPM Board of Directors), Prof. Ts. Dr. Siti Khairunniza Bejo (Directorof IKP), Prof. Dr. Wong Mui Yun (Deputy Director of IKP), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Juwaidah Sharifuddin (Deputy Dean, Academic, Student Affairs & Alumni, Faculty of Agriculture), and Ms Siti Saripa Rabiah Mat Lazim (IKPPGSC representative), together with other 70 participants from various government agencies, private agencies and universities including researchers, industrial players and students which also benefited from this program.

During the session, Dato’ Bek-Nielsen discussed the significant transformations occurring in the Malaysian plantation sector, which aim to address challenges in sustainability and biodiversity in oil palm plantations. He emphasized three key initiatives: improving stagnant yields through the “produce more with less” concept, automation/technology adoption, and strategy diversification towards a sustainability and biodiversity approach in the oil palm industry. These efforts reflect a concerted push to modernize the plantation sector, ensuring its resilience and sustainability in response to evolving economic and environmental challenges.

Oil palm as the highest oil-yielding crop in the world (7-10 times more vegetable oil/area unit compared to other competing vegetable oil crops) has the potential to lead the global market if sustainability and biodiversity elements are embedded in the oil palm plantation operation system. UPM students should take their graduate/post-graduate journey in UPM as a fortunate opportunity, cultivating a positive attitude and setting aspirational goals to become someone who would lead or contribute to significant changes in the Malaysian agriculture footprint.

Please visit our facebook@Institut Kajian Perladangan to watch the full video (https://www.facebook.com/IKP.UPM/videos/1281037489831191)  of this program. Thank you!

Date of Input: 20/01/2025 | Updated: 20/01/2025 | ainzubaidah