New city possible in southern Palawan if oil palm industry flourishes

• Source:http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=3&rid=854292
• Friday, February 5, 2016

(PNA), LAP/CARF/PJN

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Feb. 5 (PNA) -- The possibility of creating a new city in southern Palawan is not far from happening with the help of the oil palm industry, according to the chief executive officer of a Malaysian agro-industrial company Thursday.

Camarul Osman, chief executive officer (CEO) of the ALIF Agro Industrial, Inc.(AAII)-Philippines said the southern Palawan town of Narra can be a spanking urban area if the oil palm industry flourishes.

He said this following the launching Thursday in this city of the Palawan Integrated Oil Palm Hub (PIOPH).

The début is anchored on the fact that AAII has a number of oil palm pilot projects in various barangays in Narra totaling about 5,000 hectares.

These pilot projects, he said, can make the province accessible to more investors not only in oil palm, but others as well.

Osman’s optimistic projection about creating a new city in Palawan comes despite the failure to prosper oil palm farming in Palawan years ago.

Thursday’s launching of the PIOPH hopes to push the industry again under the public-private partnership. This effort is led in Palawan by the Palawan Palm Oil Industry Development Council (PPOIDC) composed of numerous stakeholders.

PIOPH’s launching was the product of a palm oil summit held September last year in Puerto Princesa, where it was held as among the highest yielding crops in the world compared to coconut.

Osman said Palawan, with its large tracts of land is ideal for flourishing the industry in the Philippines. Out of 350,000 hectares of land in the country, about a hundred thousand hectares are in Palawan and can be planted with palm oil.

He said that if their pilot projects are able to survive challenges, Palawan will not only be in the world map of palm oil industry, but will also have opportunities in the development of additional urban areas.

To refresh the interest of Palaweños in taking on the industry, Osman said ALIF is willing to help train them in adopting the technology that Malaysia is utilizing for its successful oil palm farming.

Oil palm is easy to plant and compared to coconut, it does not need much time for maintenance, harvesting and even marketing. It is also said to have many comparative advantages over other crops.

Similar to the best hybrid corn, oil palm H hybrid grows fast and is very sturdy once planted in the field. Oil palm trees are greener in weedy fields, where coconut trees may appear chlorotic due to weed competition.