InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA — Minister of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration (PDTT), Yandri Susanto, recently welcomed representatives from the Central Leadership Council of the Indonesian Palm Oil Villages Association (DPP ADeSI) at the Sasana Manggala Praja Building, Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in Jakarta. During the meeting, ADeSI presented its vision for enhancing village development based on palm oil potential and addressing the specific challenges faced by villages within palm plantation areas.
Zeky Hamzah, Chairman of DPP ADeSI, explained that the association was established to assist palm oil villages in overcoming challenges such as land conflicts, complex partnerships between villages or Village-Owned Enterprises (Bumdes), and palm oil companies, as well as various social, economic, and environmental issues. “We hope ADeSI can become a platform to resolve various problems faced by palm oil villages,” Zeky stated in an official release received by InfoSAWIT on Tuesday (Nov 5, 2024).
ADeSI currently represents 400 out of the 16,800 palm oil villages across Indonesia, with an organizational structure that includes six Provincial Leadership Councils (DPW) and 16 Regional Leadership Councils (DPD) at the district level. The association aims to unify palm oil villages that share similar potential and challenges.
Director of Village and PDT Featured Product Development, M. Fachri, emphasized ADeSI's crucial role in strengthening palm oil villages. He noted that ADeSI is Indonesia’s only village association focused on palm oil potential, with a mission to empower smallholder palm growers and strengthen village roles in the national palm oil industry. “These villages have come together because they share similar potential and challenges, and they need a forum for exchanging solutions and replicating successful models across villages,” Fachri explained.
During the meeting, Zeky Hamzah also invited Minister Yandri to serve as the Chairman of ADeSI’s Advisory Board and visit Tepian Langsat Village in East Kutai, East Kalimantan. This village has become a successful model of a palm oil partnership involving companies, the village, Bumdesa, cooperatives, and the community. According to Zeky, Tepian Langsat has successfully positioned itself as a key player in development while maintaining forest, agricultural, and environmental conservation zoning.
In response, Minister Yandri accepted the invitation to join as ADeSI’s Advisory Board Chairman and expressed interest in visiting Tepian Langsat to observe firsthand the village’s partnership model and success in managing palm oil resources. “I am eager to see how these villages have built beneficial business partnerships for their residents,” he said.
Minister Yandri also encouraged ADeSI to focus on developing palm oil derivative products. He suggested that such products could open up new business opportunities for Bumdesa, from food products to cosmetics, and support downstream initiatives that contribute to renewable energy. With these innovations, ADeSI is expected to help maintain stable and competitive prices for Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB) produced by local farmers. (T2)
