Bangladesh News

The Department of Forest is planning to go for an oil palm plantation once again after a failed project undertaken in the early 80s.

The department has already prepared a project proposal named ‘Sabuj Baloy’ (Green Circle). At least 20 percent plants under this project will be oil palm, say sources working with the department.

Though local weather is not friendly for oil palms, the department has retaken the initiative to fulfil desire of a very powerful high official of the military-backed caretaker government, insiders say.

The department however didn’t even conduct any pilot project before taking this initiative, they add.

“Our weather is not suitable for oil palms; so the first oil palm project was not successful,” said a top forest official asking anonymity.

The sources say the chief of a high-powered agency is convinced that if this oil palm venture were successful, the country would not need to import so much edible oil. So the officials are planning to promote oil palms plantations in near future, they add.

“May be two palm trees can meet up necessity of a small family. They can simply boil the palm fruits and make oil out of it,” says the forest official.

In successful palm oil producing countries including Malaysia and Indonesia, the trees start giving fruits in four years and continue it up to 20 years. Generally 4-16 kilograms of edible oil can be produced from a single palm tree every year when fruits quality is good.

Besides destroying ecosystems and biodiversity indirectly, the palm plantation has adverse effects on aquatic life, as it requires a lot of insecticide and other chemical spraying for good production, experts say.

Most of the experts opposed the move and suggested that the country should rather go for other oil seed varieties including mustered, groundnut, sunflower and soybean, as these are suitable for local soil and weather.

“The standard of oil from these seeds is far better than palm oil,” said Dr Reza Khan.

Oil palm cultivation started in Bangladesh in 1979 through import of seedlings from Nigeria and Malaysia. The first batch of oil palm seeds was brought from Malaysia in 1978 and the seedlings were raised in polybags at the Botanical Garden, Dhaka.

Six-month-old seedlings were supplied to Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar and Sylhet Forest Divisions for planting in 1979.

By 1981 about 784 acres of land, including 279 acres in Chittagong, 325 acres in Cox’s Bazar, and 180 acres in Sylhet, were brought under oil palm plantations. Later the total plantation area rose to over one thousand acres.

With a goal to produce palm oil commercially, motivated by the success of Malaysia and Indonesia, the department of forest conducted a clear felling of natural forest.

“But soon those trees disappeared,” said Dr Reza Khan, a member of World Commission for Protected Areas.

The forest department had pinned the blame on wild elephants, porcupines, rats and wild boar for disappearance of the trees.

Insects, wild animals, and some diseases affect the growth and cultivation of oil palm in Bangladesh, forest officials say.

“Considerable damage of plantations of Cox’s Bazar Division by elephants, porcupines and other animals was reported frequently in plantation areas,” said a forest official.

The plantations of Sylhet forest areas, especially in Satchhari, were rather successful but the department could not extract palm fruits for commercial production because of poor quality.

“Still you’ll find palm trees in Satchhari forest area,” said the official.

“May be saplings of those palm trees have become suitable for Bangladesh weather now,” he added.

The sources say the proposal of the ‘green circle’ project is now at the external relation department.

“The project will be implemented in Bogra, Thakurgaon and Joypurhat districts initially. He is very keen to see oil palm trees as he learned recently oil palm trees can meet up scarcity of edible oil. But please don’t quote me,” said the high official.