Tradewinds Plantation Berhad

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

As part of the company's efforts to remain a key player in this industry, the Tradewinds Plantation R&D Centre was set up in Sarawak in 2000. The Centre provides the Group with its own pool of researchers and scientists who will focus on achieving scientific and technological breakthrough. The Centre also looks into planting and processing of crops as well as general research.

The Group has established a Research and Development Advisory committee comprising members who are expert in various agricultural disciplines. The Committee, headed by an expert in soil fertility, lends support to the Group's Research and Development unit and focuses primarily on the identification of Research and Development areas which could enhance the Group's productivity.

The Research and Development unit also works closely with other research centres such as Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) to further improve agronomic management of oil palms, most specifically on MPOB's effort to determine suitable protocol for establishment of leguminous cover crop in peat soil and UPM's research on balance phosphate requirement for peat planting.

With the increasing threat from bunch moth, Tirathaba spp. in peat plantations in Sarawak , the unit is reevaluating the technique of controlling this pest through chemical, cultural and biological means with the objective of finding suitable predators to this pest.

Tradewinds Plantation Academy (TPA)

In addition to the R&D Centre, the group has also set up Tradewinds Plantation Academy in Sarawak in 1999 to provide training at both professional and academic levels to both staff and the industry as a whole.

TPA plays a major role in our effort to continuously improve and equip our workforce with the necessary skills, knowledge and exposure for optimum performance. It also acts as a service centre for the dissemination of information on innovative methods and technologies available in the plantation industry. The training has been further expanded during the current financial year to increase the asset value of our workforce.