In keeping with the Organisation’s philosophy on sustainability, SALCRA formulated its plantation development to include the following criteria:
- Retaining as much natural forest cover on hill slopes. Development of areas exceeding 25 degrees will incorporate mitigating measures to reduce surface run-off and soil erosion. Terracing, planting of legumes and retaining of covers are practiced to reduce surface run-off and soil erosion.
- Construction of terraces for any slope with gradient of more than 10 degrees. Forest cover serves as reserves for natural enemies of oil palm pests, and is also part of the effort to conserve local flora and fauna.
- Retaining and maintaining riparian reserves to minimize soil run-off. These reserves function as a filtration system to preserve the quality of water entering rivers.
PLANTING/REPLANTING TECHNIQUE
SALCRA practices a zero-burning technique both in the replanting and development of new areas for oil palm plantations. Palms are felled, chipped and/ or shredded, and trees and sapling are staked in windrow and left to decompose on site. Read more...
WATER MANAGEMENT
A critical aspect of oil palm cultivation is water management, as oil palm trees require significant amounts of water. Unstable water supplies may lead to unnecessary stress to trees and compromise both vegetative growth and fruit production. Read more...