Scientists advocate urgent oil palm cultivation

Stress plantation will attract investment of millions, reduce edible oil imports

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KARACHI:

Indonesian diplomats and Pakistani scientists have called for urgently boosting local oil palm cultivation to reduce the country's heavy reliance on imported edible oil.

With Pakistan currently importing 92% of edible oil, costing approximately $4-5 billion annually, the experts emphasised that cultivating at least 60,000 acres with oil palm could attract an investment of $30 million and significantly cut the import bill.

A high-level Indonesian delegation, led by Acting Consul General Teguh Wiwiek and Consul for Economic Affairs Dr Ahmad Syofyan, visited the Sindh Agriculture University (SAU) Tandojam to explore avenues for joint research and technical collaboration.

The delegation reviewed the progress on experimental plantation under the SAU-Dalda Oil Palm Pilot Project at the university's Latif Experimental Farm and engaged in discussions with SAU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Altaf Ali Siyal and other faculty members.

Altaf Ali Siyal said Pakistan's coastal regions, including Sindh and Balochistan, possessed ideal climatic conditions for oil palm cultivation. However, to further expand the scope, the SAU is conducting research in collaboration with Malaysia and other international partners to develop oil palm varieties suited for arid regions.

"The university is actively engaged in research at Latif Experimental Farms and at Kathore, near Karachi, in collaboration with various organisations to assess the commercial feasibility of oil palm," he said.

The experts agreed that strong cooperation with Indonesia, the world's leading palm oil producer, could help Pakistan adopt modern agronomic practices and enhance domestic edible oil production.

Speaking at the meeting, Consul for Economic Affairs Dr Ahmad Syofyan reaffirmed Indonesia's commitment to supporting Pakistan's oil palm sector through research partnerships, student scholarships, exchange programmes and technical assistance.