Oil palm smallholders have a critical role in helping us achieve our sustainability goals, they are part of the supply chain providing an estimated 40% of world palm oil production.

The RSPO defines smallholders with less than 50 hectares of cultivated land and are mostly family-run, with some sustenance farming to support basic needs.

As part of our Company’s involvement, UP continuously engages with smallholders. The recent Smallholder’s Field Day was held on 17th November 2018. We invited 150 smallholders from local districts to visit our plantations to get a better understanding of good agricultural practices, sustainability initiatives and environmental protection. We are pleased to inform that 101 smallholders or equivalent to 67% of the smallholders attended the Smallholders Field Day. The smallholders were given training sessions in safe handling of pesticides with appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), effective use of pre-emergent herbicides for less chemical usage, integrated pest management (IPM) and mechanized harvesting in order to assist them with their agricultural interests. In addition, demonstration on fire combat procedures were carried out to further enhance the awareness of neighbouring smallholders case of fire incidence and were informed to contact UP for emergency assistance within close vicinity.

Smallholders being briefed on oil palm germinated seeds.

Smallholders being briefed on appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)