InfoSAWIT, MERANGIN – Gabungan Kelompok Tani (Gapoktan) Tanjung Sehati in Village of Mekar Jaya, Sub district of Tabir Selatan, Regency of Merangin, Jambi Province keeps doing its best to minimize work accident in the independent smallholders’ plantation by delivering trainings sustainably. This would be the same with the good agricultural practices and the significance to maintain the health and safety of labors and smallholders themselves.
Jalal Sayuti, Chairman of Gapoktan Tanjung Sehati said the training would be significant for the labors and smallholders namely about using self-protection tool and how to safely spray. “The training would be one way to increase the smallholders’ knowledge and to always remind them to avoid work accidents,” he said, as InfoSAWIT quoted from Fortasbi, Thursday (22/8/2024).
Gapoktan Tanjung Sehati that consisted of 526 smallholders - 374 men and 152 women, cultivated about 1.354,4 hectares that got RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) certificate. Jalal emphasized the certificate should force them to maintain RSPO principles and criteria, including the work safety.
“We provided and delivered self-protection tools for the sprayers, health services freely, and get regular check to minimize the chemical impacts for them,” he said. Besides, the organization would keep trying to escalate plantation productivity by implementing good agricultural practices.
To maintain the sustainability. Gapoktan Tanjung Sehati is now preparing every process to get ISPO (Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil) certificate. It is in the third year now. Wilmar, the partner of the smallholders’ organization would support the certification process by delivering self – protection tools for them.
Jalal emphasized the collaboration with many parties would be significant to escalate sustainable palm oil practices. “By having continuous trainings, the smallholders would be more aware of sustainability. The credit fund from RSPO and helps from the partner would be the way to realize the goal,” he said.
By these, Gapoktan Tanjung Sehati hoped to always develop sustainable plantations, escalate the productivity, maintain the health of labors and smallholders in the field. (T2)
