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Improved processing: We leveraged R&D to enhance and develop
new products catering to different customer needs. A speciality
fats simulation laboratory has increased the Edible Oils & Fats
Division’s ability to:
• Improve the quality and consistency of its products;
• Develop specialty fat products for use in cakes, bread,
confectioneries and other bakery products; and
• Develop new packaging materials and designs to reduce costs.
2013 Outlook
In 2013, we expect the demand for premium, high-yielding seeds
to increase as a result of growing dependency on palm oil and
palm oil products, as well as major Indonesian planters carrying
out new plantings.
This spurs us to take holistic, best-practice plantation management
several steps further. In the year ahead, we are focused on higher
mechanisation in order to drive productivity levels, and the improved
use of technology, including the deployment of hand-held tracking
devices, which will enable effective data capture and management
at every node of the value chain.
At our plantations, we expect to improve yields and yield forecasts
with precision agronomy. At the same time, an integrated, real-
time software system will help us gain visibility into data across
subsidiaries, refneries and plantations; while continued investment
into Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems will better equip
us with professional tools for managing our diverse operations.
We are starting the use of UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles) as
a platform to take visual as well as near infrared (NIR) and IR
photography of crop biomass and conditions. The objective is to
make reliable estimates of leaf area for forecasting yields and to
monitor plant health status.
Detailed soil fertility mapping will help characterise physicochemical
properties across different breeding environments, enabling site-
specifc fertility management to produce the maximum economic
crop response.
Further specific strategies include pest control and disease
management, as well as precision agronomy through improved
strategies for crop management, planting densities, fertiliser and
herbicide usage, will enable us to secure the most proftable yield
and keep a balanced nutrient input and output programme for
sustainable growth.
We believe our investments will yield benefts through higher FFB
and oil yields per hectare, while reducing production costs and
maximising long-run profts. For our Edible Oils & Fats Division,
continued investment in R&D will ensure that our products meet
evolving customer requirements.
Indofood Agri Resources Ltd. • Annual Report 2012 29