PBS have recently returned from an exhilarating trip to Indonesia and Malaysia, where they were kindly welcomed by our customers and distributors within the Oil Palm sector. For Briley, our office manager who leads on customer and distributor relations, this was her first customer visit overseas!
In this blog, we share the highlights of this memorable trip undertaken by our CEO, Hannah, and Briley, including some fantastic moments that Briley is eager to share.
Hannah Senior and Briley Newham in Malaysia visiting customers, learning about oil palm production at United Plantation, Malaysia
Preparing for a customer visit with Vincent Tan, CEO Biotek Abu, our Malaysian distributor.
Stepping out from behind the desk
As the office manager at PBS, liaising with our customers and distributors is a daily occurrence for me. It was an honour to have been given the opportunity to step out from behind my desk and travel across the world to meet the people I’ve built relationships with. I was excited to finally come face to face with our distributors and customers, have the chance to explore the plantations, and see our pollination control bags in action.
Learning about Oil Palm pollination protocols at the Asian Agri Oil Palm research station.
Arriving on Indonesian soil
Our adventure kicked off the minute we touched down in the stunning Kuala Lumpur.
Eager to make the most of our visit, we crammed in as much as possible! Our journey took us to four plantations spanning Kuala Lumpur, Medan, and Pekanbaru, across Malaysia and Indonesia; offering us a firsthand insight into the oil palm sector.
Spot our bag in the Oil Palm!
Visiting our long-standing customers at Asian Agri with Tinawati Budiman CEO, CV BPU our Indonesian distributor
Trip highlights
Our days were filled with action, from plantation visits to engaging discussions about our customers’ work and how our pollination control bags are used in the field. Here are some of the standout moments for me:
1. Learning about the history of oil palm was truly fascinating. Specifically, careful hybridization to develop an improved oil palm seed and the role our bags play in increasing the seed yield.
2. The visits to the plantations and seeing our products in use including witnessing the bagging of female inflorescence.
3. Connecting in person with customers and distributors who provided invaluable feedback. We discussed in depth how bag quality and low contamination rates were key to their confidence in our products.
4. Bumps in the road and unexpected turns: From a lost suitcase to navigating through fields in wellies without socks, I learned quickly this doesn’t mix well with the humidity! This certainly brought some humour to our trip!
Arriving home
The long journey home gave Hannah and I ample time for reflection on our remarkable trip, the plantations we explored, and the insights gained. Back at PBS HQ we shared our stories with the team while eating the delicious mango cookies and Indonesian layer cake, we had brought back for them.
Since we’ve returned, I’ve been inspired to leverage the knowledge we gained on the trip to enhance the work we do here at PBS International. And in case you were wondering, my misplaced suitcase made a swift return within 24 hours in Indonesia.
Indonesian layer cake and mango cookies – delicious!