InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – Until now palm oil plantations in Indonesia lay on about 16,38 million hectares within average development about 6 percent. But palm oil sector still faces many threats, such as, war, climate, and productivity. In 2002 the invasion of Iraq and Kuwait significantly impacted and now the war between Russia and Ukraine and other aspects makes everything complicated.
Palm oil plantation productivity is about 4 tons crude palm oil (CPO) per hectare per year. While in the field, the numbers could be lower because of some factors, such as, planters’ institutions, forest regions, not in one overlay, and policies heading to downstream (programs). Besides, palm oil history in Indonesia revealed that palm oil was a forced plant as part of industrialization and the way to escalate income. But as times goes by, independent smallholders become the main actor in this sector, need development, evaluation, fertilizer supply, and qualified and adequate superior seeds.
Coordinator of Institutions Directorate of Palm Oil and Various Palm, Ministry of Agriculture, Mula Putera said before perusahaan inti rakyat (PIR) program was introduced, characteristic, case, and solution to escalate palm oil plantation productivity were the concerns to be improved. Socialization about regulation, transparency, and evaluation in phase were taken as the keys. Smallholders’ supply chain involved some steps of sale that showed the complexity in this industrial structure.
That is why Mula told, the government tries its best by having human resource development in palm oil plantations by focusing to deliver education, trainings, counseling, and development/facilities.”
“The program covers education technical recommendation about 3.660 and 10.938 trainings in 2021 – 2023. The goals are about to escalate production and productivity, qualify the needs of palm oil workers within qualified and competent human resources,” he said when being a speaker in the 3rd Indonesia Palm Oil Smallholder Conference and Expo (IPOSC) with the theme “Optimalisasi Sawit Rakyat Sebagai Penghasil Devisa di Pusaran Tata Kelola Sawit Berkelanjutan”, that InfoSAWIT attended, Tuesday (28/11/2023) in Jambi
Transformation wanted should cover collaboration among the smallholders, stakeholders, the government, science, and technology, and smallholders’ plantations. Ever party should cooperate to get the goal – increase plantation productivity up to 30 - 40 tons fresh fruit bunch per hectare with the yield 23 - 25 percent, and implement sustainable practices.
Mula Putera critically questioned the audience (smallholders). “Would you be a supplier or a player? Suppliers just sell. That is why smallholders should be the players, just like the stakeholders. But the question continues, would you change? Only you can answer it,” Mula said. (T2)
