ESTATE MANAGEMENT

The administrative functions of the estate office include ;

• Routine reporting to Head Office
• Monthly accounts and payments
• Internal controls
• Contracts
• Government statutory requirements
• Proper storage of records
• Budget preparations

The immature phase involves the following ;

• Nursery - establishment and maintenance
• Replanting - land preparations and planting
• Field upkeep - maintenance of field during immature period

Guidance for successful nursery are ;

• Proper and carefull selection of nursery site and preparation
• Purchase of seeds from reliable sources
• Proper watering
• Good upkeep/maintenance practices, including pests/diseases control
• Proper and timely manuring

Work under upkeep ;

• Drainage
• Weeding
• Pests & diseases
• Pruning
• Roads & paths

The important controls in harvesting are ;

• All ripe bunches only are to be harvested
• All loose fruit to be collected
• Bunch stalks to be properly trimmed

Mature upkeep costs ;

• Soil, water, regulation (drainage, conservation etc) - 10%
• Weeding - 42%
• Pest & disease control - 10%
• Plant upkeep (pruning) - 17%
• Roads - 17%
• Others - 4%

Estate/Mill relationship necessary ;

• Crop
• Deliveries
• Interruption
• Oil extraction rate
• FFA
• EFB
• POME

Crop - long term ;

• Capital investment (mill design & machinery)
• Long term supply
• Mill capacity
• Location
• Manpower
• Finance/cost
• Water/power
• Marketing

Crop - short term ;

• Plan production
• Trough and peak trends
• Inspection and maintenance shutdown
• Organise other running schedules
• Marketing

Crop - monthly/weekly / daily forecast ;

• Plan production
• Trough and peak periods
• Continuous supply
• Interruptions
• Marketing

Deliveries ;

• Early
• Continuous
• Quality
• Quantity
• Security

Interruptions - mill ;

• Breakdown
• Congestions
• Workers
• Death
• Strike
• Festivals

Interruptions - estates ;

• Rain
• Flood
• Workers
• Strike
• Death
• Festival
• Tractors and machinery
• Transport
• Security

Oil Extraction Rates ;

• Mill efficiency
• Ripeness - under or over ripe
• Planting materials
• Empty bunches
• Long stalks
• Rainfall
• Contaminations

Free Fatty Acid ;

• Mill efficiency - congestion etc
• Overripeness
• Bruised/damaged to FFB
• Delayed delivery
• Harvesting round - extended
• Rainfall

Empty Fruit Bunch ;

• Disposal
• Congestion
• Transport
• Machinery
• Workers

Effluent - land application ;

• Machinery - pumps & pipes
• Volume
• Workers
• Land area
• Application rate

Source - H.K.Siow / Diploma in Palm Oil Milling Technology & Management (1997)