InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – The first world war significantly delivered impacts for palm oil plantation development in Sumatera Island. Before 1917, palm oil plantations laid on about 1.605 hectares.
But the numbers significantly got wider to be 2.100 hectares in 1918 because 19 companies cultivated it. In the same year, Indonesia got history by having the first palm oil mill construction around Sungai Liput.
According to the information that InfoSAWIT got from Pusat Penelitian Kelapa Sawit (PPKS), quoted on Monday (2/9/2024), in the first years of the 20th century, some big companies, for instance, HVA, Asahan Cultuur Mij, and Socfin played significant roles in the industries. The first Crude palm oil (CPO) factory was constructed in Tanah Itam Ulu in 1913 and started operating in 1916. It was the first of palm oil industrial era in Indonesia.
The progress really had something to do with “East Sumatera” region that became the first region to develop plantation industries. The region was in border with Aceh in the west-north area, Tapanuli in south-west area, Bengkalis in southeast and Malacca Strait in north-east areas. ‘East Sumatera’ was officially established on 15 May 1873, and Bengkalis was the capital.
This history showed how the first world war accelerate palm oil industrial expansion in Indonesia, namely in Sumatera Island which became the significant center of plantation industrial map in the world. (T2)
