InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – Ministry of Agriculture through General Directorate of Plantation keeps developing palm oil production from the upstream to downstream sectors, such as, reinforcing collaboration in smallholders replanting program (SRP) implementation, multiplying plantation infrastructures and developing plantation human resources.

General Secretary of Ministry of Agriculture, Kasdi Subagyono said the collaboration is about to involve many parties including reinforcing synergy with Indonesian Legislators Commission IV, Palm Oil Plantation Fund Management Agency (PFMA), the smallholders, and other institutions.

“Palm oil is the main commodity of plantation sub-sector. It faces many challenges to develop. To escalate the production and productivity of smallholders’ plantations, the government is in synergy with PFMA, implementing SRP with the fund deriving from PFMA,” Kasdi said, as in the official statement to InfoSAWIT, Monday, (30/1/2023).

He also told, palm oil as the mainstay product in Indonesia and escalates the economy in national scale, its production also increased the exports and delivered additional values for the people. “It is our mainstay product and the main pillar of our exports,” he said.

Chairman of Indonesian Legislators Commission IV, Sudin told what the smallholders face nowadays is that fresh fruit bunch price and the old trees. That is why he hoped SRP would be the solution to improve their economy.

"By having focus group discussion, this would get conducive inputs to arrange what the government would publish,” he said. (T2)