InfoSAWIT, LAMPUNG – Through the supports from Palm Oil Plantation Fund Management Agency (PFMA), Asosiasi Petani Kelapa Sawit Indonesia (Apkasindo) did reinforcement to plasma smallholders’ institution in Lampung.
Chairman of Apkasindo, Gulat Manurung told it is a must so that the smallholders would highly get profits from their plantations.
“That is why the smallholders are encouraged to get into groups/union, and partnership. The goal would be about to get economic advantages from business scale through the group,” he said when inaugurating workshop about “Penguatan Kelembagaan dan Kemitraan Kelapa Sawit Rakyat”, at Hotel Aston Bandar Lampung, on 27 - 29 March 2024.
He also mentioned that the goal of having partnership would be about to escalate additional values, escalate equity, empower the small business, and expand employment.
As in the official statement to InfoSAWIT, Saturday (30/3/2024), it is acknowledged or not, partnership proved markets to ease smallholders when selling their plantation production, support sustainability to escalate their economy, and plantation productivity by having field training and development.
To realize and accelerate independency in one region, it needs to conduct alternative things, such as, reinforcing institution. It is about to escalate their economic scale, get efficient business, and bargaining position.
Though fresh fruit bunch (FFB) governance in the smallholders’ level has been regulated by the Regulation of Minister of Agriculture Number 01 / 2018 abut FFB Price Decision Guidelines produced by Planters, the goal of the regulation would be about to protect them to get normal, fair FFB price and avoid unhealthy competition with plantation companies.
It is too sad, Apkasindo told, the regulation just protects the planters in partnership that just reached 7% while the independent smallholders that reached 93% did not get price protection still.
For information, the event was inaugurated by Head of Plantation Agency Lampung Province. The participants were from 7 regencies and 1 city in Lampung where palm oil plantations develop there. Head of Plantation Agency Lampung Province told that the smallholders should join organizations or groups and get partnership to be stronger, better, and go forward. (T2)
