KOTA SAMARAHAN, 29 January 2019 - Sime Darby Plantation Berhad (SDP) and Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (SALCRA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today to form a collaborative framework 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.
Under the MOU, dedicated SDP and SALCRA teams intend to combine their resources and expertise to jointly collaborate, evaluate and research on matters relating to the palm value chain and related agronomic inputs in the following areas:-
(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 Mr. Joseph Blandoi, Acting General Manager of SALCRA, and Dr. Shariman Alwani, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer of SDP. The signing ceremony, held at SALCRA Head Office in Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, was witnessed by Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Deputy Chief Minister of Sarawak and Chairman of SALCRA; Datu Ik Pahon Joyik, Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development; as well as Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Mohd Bakke Salleh, Executive Deputy Chairman and Managing Director of SDP.
Senior management and staff from both companies also witnessed the signing ceremony.