InfoSAWIT, BENGKULU SELATAN – The Agriculture Office of Bengkulu Selatan Regency aims to increase the data collection of smallholder palm oil plantations by 2025, targeting an achievement of over 50 percent. This target is higher than the 2024 achievement, which only reached 50 percent of the total 8,600 plots targeted.

In 2024, the data collection involved 21 personnel from the Plantation Division of the Agriculture Office and took place over six months, from July to December. However, the results did not meet the full target. According to Ahmad Sukirman, Head of the Plantation Division of the Bengkulu Selatan Agriculture Office, challenges on the ground have been the main obstacles. One of the issues is the lack of trust from the community, leading many to be reluctant to provide their plantation data.

"This data collection aims to facilitate the government in formulating policies based on the data from the Plantation Business Registration Certificate (STD-B). This data will also serve as a basis for providing assistance to farmers," explained Ahmad, as quoted by InfoSAWIT from Harian Rakyat Bengkulu on Thursday (December 26, 2024).

Ahmad emphasized that they will improve their socialization strategy in 2025. He hopes that village governments, Agricultural Extension Centers (BPP), and banks will help disseminate the importance of smallholder palm oil plantation data. "We are optimistic that this activity will run better in 2025 to support the welfare of palm oil farmers," he said.

Meanwhile, the Assistant for Economic and Development Affairs of the Bengkulu Selatan Regional Secretariat, Diah Winarsih, SH, stressed the importance of smallholder palm oil plantation data as a basis for local government decision-making. This data is also necessary to tailor assistance according to community needs.

"The data collection not only helps the community gain access to assistance but also enhances the efficiency of government programs," Diah stated.

The 2024 data collection covered seven sub-districts: Kota Manna, Pasar Manna, Manna, Pino Raya, Pino, Bunga Mas, and Kedurang. Although the results exceeded 50 percent, Diah hopes that the achievement in 2025 will be even higher.

"This activity must be consistent and involve the entire team to maximize the results. With better socialization, we hope the community will understand the importance of this data to improve their welfare," Diah concluded.

With improved data collection, it is hoped that government policies can be more targeted and positively impact the economic conditions of palm oil farmers in Bengkulu Selatan. (T2)