InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – To optimize palm oil plantations and escalate planters’ income, Ministry of Agriculture in cooperation with General Directorate of Plantation and General Directorate of Food Plantation, implemented Kelapa Sawit Tumpang Sari Tanaman Pangan (Kesatria) Program. It focuses on paddy gogo and corn among palm oil tress in replanting program.
In 2024, intercrop program would be covering 120.000 hectares - 80.000 hectares through the agencies in regencies and 40.000 hectares through partnership. For General Directorate of Plantation identified, it was revealed that 500 thousand hectares would be potential to conduct intercrop; 200 thousand hectares would be for palm oil and 300 thousand hectares for intercrops (paddy gogo) in dry palm oil plantations.
Vice Minister of Agriculture, Harvick Hasnul Qolbi appreciated palm oil intercrop meeting and discussed the impacts of El Nino. He told this would be about to reinforce palm oil plantation productivity and production in Indonesia.
Harvick thought the acceleration of palm oil intercrop program should be supported by many parties to escalate production, additional values, competition in palm oil industries in Indonesia.
He also told, every party should be committed and in synergy to struggle for palm oil industrial power in the future. “Palm oil massively delivers advantages and the struggle should also deliver profits for the people,” he said, as InfoSAWIT quoted from official page of General Directorate of Plantation, (6/3/2024).
To reinforce the cooperation and synergy among Ministry of Agriculture and other stakeholders, Harvick did sign memorandum of understanding (MoU) about smallholders replanting program (SRP) acceleration, such as, with PalmCo that would cover about 5000 hectares, with SupportingCo about 10.000 hectares, with Indonesian Palm Oil Association (IPOA) about 3.550,77 hectares, APKASINDO about 67.400,00 hectares, and ASPEKPIR about 5.013,00 hectares to realize food independency and security.
General Directorate of Plantation did hand over awards to its partners for supporting sustainable palm oil plantations, including the police and regional governments for having active roles to encourage palm oil intercrop program.
Not only that, the institution handed over award for Regent in duty of Ogan Komering Ilir for his performance to get the widest technical recommendation criteria in 2017 to 2023 that covered 36.252 hectares from 47 proposals/institutions that involved 14.812 planters and Kelompok Tani Neglasari, Regency of Pandeglang, for its performance by realizing paddy gogo intercrops.
General Director of Plantation, Andi Nur Alam Syah told SRP faces challenges including area legal and business rights but his institution is committed to get the right solution to solve them both by reinforcing regulations, establishing task force, and having good cooperation with many parties.
By having good collaboration among Ministry of Agriculture, General Directorate of Plantations and other stakeholders, it is hoped that palm oil intercrop program would be the strategic thing to escalate palm oil plantation productivity in Indonesia. (T2)