InfoSAWIT, PEKANBARU – To increase palm oil product quality and competition, Riau Province Plantation Agency fully supported the implementation of Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) and Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification for independent smallholders in the Regency of Indragiri Hulu. The supports were officially realized by sending official documents for Asosiasi Petani Sawit Swadaya Indragiri (APSSI) last month.
Head of Marketing Riau Province Plantation Agency, Defris Hadmaja appreciated the initiative of APSSI when proposing ISPO and RSPO certification process. He thought this would be the same with the vision of Riau Province as regulated in the Riau Province Governor’s Regulation Number 9 / 2020 and Riau Governor’s Regulation Number 77 / 2020 which were about to get sustainable palm oil cultivation.
“The support should increase the smallholders’ competition, minimize the negative impacts to the environment, and increase the independent smallholders’ economy,” Defris said, as in the official statement to InfoSAWIT, Tuesday (27/8/2024). The two certificates would be the main standards in palm oil industris to confirm that the plantations would be sustainable and environmental.
ISPO and RSPO certificates would be significant not only to conserve the environment but also would play the big roles to confirm the sustainable resources for the next generations. With the full supports from the province, it is hoped there would be more independent smallholders to qualify the standards and palm oil products from Riau would be more competitive in the markets globally.
Director of APSSI, Yazid Fauzi said that the implementation of RSPO and ISPO certificate would be the main program in the organization. APSSI would focus on independent smallholders’ advocacy in Indragiri Hulu. "We hope by having the certifications, the smallholders would get better bargaining offer both nationally and internationally,” he said.
Yazid also mentioned the impacts from the two certifications would limit not only for the product selling price but also would cover to get palm oil mill in partnership. It has also something to do with how to manage poisonous, toxic materials. The partnership would directly contribute to fresh fruit bunch (FFB) trade that many independent smallholders sold and would encourage to create sustainable and environmental agricultural practices.
By the concrete thing from Riau Province Plantation Agency and the commitment of APSSI itself, the future of independent smallholders in Indiragiri Huly would be better. The support would reinforce not only the smallholders’ position in the trade but become the agricultural foundation in the future sustainable palm oil plantations. (T2)
