InfoSAWIT, KONAWE UTARA – Palm oil plantations in Southeast Sulawesi keep developing because of land adjustment, such as, in Regency of Konawe Utara. Not only companies, but also the people independently develop their palm oil plantations. Plantation Agency Regency of Konawe Utara mentioned, there have been about 7.000 hectares palm oil plantations belonging to independent smallholders. They face issues to develop theirs.
Arwan, Chairman of Serikat Petani Kelapa Sawit (SPKS) Konawe Utara told that the independent smallholders face issue about certified seeds, cultivation practices, such as, nursery in immature plantation, fertilizations, and fertilizer access.
“By having the best and sustainable practices, it is hoped the independent smallholders’ skills and knowledge would be better,” he said.
As smallholders’ organization, SPKS keeps supporting them in Konawe Utara to get more knowledge and help to get access on cultivation practices based on good agricultural practices (GAP). Besides, SPKS conducts cooperation with Plantation Agency by having memorandum of understanding that was held on Thursday (7/3/2024) to reinforce and develop independent smallholders in their institutions, reinforce their capacity according to GAP.
“The trainings about GAP and smallholders’ institution reinforcement are in cooperation with a plantation company - PT Sultra Prima Lestari (SPL). SPKS trainers are from Jambi and West Kalimantan for they have skills, experiences to develop sustainable palm oil plantations,” Arwan said to InfoSAWIT, Monday (11/3/2024).
For information, the trainings were about selecting palm oil seeds, the planting, immature plantation nursery until productive, how to control pests and diseases. Everything was running in smallholders’ plantations that are productive.
SPKS hoped the independent smallholders would establish their insitutions so that they would get bargaining position, be easier to get fertilizer access and the supports from local government. The training is hoped that they would get knowledge to implement GAP and would be capable to nurse their own (T1)
