GANODERMA: "CANCER OF OIL PALM", SAYS PLANTERS' ASSOCIATION

SANDAKAN (Malaysia), April 5 (Bernama) -- Ganoderma Basal Stem Rot, is the
"cancer of oil palm" and can cause considerable damage to the industry, says
East Malaysia Planters' Association chairman Othman Walat.

He said the disease could kill more than 35 per cent of oil palm trees in
one block and yield losses to as high as 46 per cent have been reported.

"Palm oil is the main export earner for Sabah, It is also an important
source of revenue for the Sabah and Sarawak state governments through the
collection of sales tax.

"Ganoderma can seriously impact the revenue of both the industry and the
government," he said in his welcoming address at the association's seminar
entitled "Ganoderma Disease of Oil Palm in East Malaysia" here Monday.

Othman said there was a need for more research to explore the root causes
and prescribe remedies as Ganoderma was relatively a new disease in Sabah and
Sarawak.

As a long-term solution to the disease, he said, the association was
contemplating undertaking an intensive joint study with researchers from
University Sabah Malaysia, University Sarawak Malaysia, University Putra
Malaysia Bintulu campus and the Malaysian Palm Oil Board.

Othman said intense awareness among oil palm planters was crucial to avoid
practices that would aggravate the situation.

The involvement of the state government through the Agriculture Department
would be of great help to quickly curb the disease, he added.
-- BERNAMA