InfoSAWIT, SAMARINDA – Data released by Plantation Agency East Kalimantan Province revealed that palm oil plantations in the province laid about 89,59 percent from the total plantations that laid about 1,57 million hectares.

Head of Plantation Agency East Kalimantan Province, Ahmad Muzakkir said that according to 2023 Spatial and Territory Spatial, East Kalimantan have agricultural areas about 3,4 million hectares, and from the numbers, 1,57 million hectares are about to develop plantation commodities.

Still from the numbers, there have been commodities developed, such as, pepper, mature palm, coconut, cocoa, nutmeg, rubber, and coffee. But palm oil dominates plantations map in the province that laid about on 1,41 million hectares, or equal to 89,59 percent from the total plantations.

“Palm oil plantations consist of 972 thousand hectares of main plantations and 373 thousand hectares of plasma ones,” Muzakkir said, as InfoSAWIT quoted from Antara, Sunday (22/10/2023) in Samarinda.

One thing to notice that palm oil industries contribute not only the plantations in the province but play important roles in economy. From the harvest, fresh fruit bunch (FFB) production reached 19,2 million tons while crude palm oil (CPO) reached 4,3 million tons.

"Palm oil industries in East Kalimantan Province showed economic progress. There have been 100 mills in this province. Palm oil makes one biggest non-oil and sector that contributes to economic development in the region,” he said.

Not only focusing in big industries, the government also focuses to develop smallholders’ plantations. By 2022, smallholders’ plantations laid on about 7.435 hectares, involved 2.981 families, while in 2023, there have been three koperasi unit desa (KUD) to be developed and involving 181 families within about 445,97 hectares. (T2)