InfoSAWIT, KAUR – Corn stalks growing side-by-side with oil palm trees is a common sight in Kaur. This practice is not the result of a recent government program, but a generations-old tradition now gaining new attention through a visit by Rosa de Vos from the Plant Production Systems Group, Wageningen University & Research, as part of the SustainPalm project.
Jusrian Saubara Orpayanda, CEO of Arconesia, noted that almost no oil palm land near settlements is left empty. “If the land is accessible, it will be planted. More often than not, it’s with corn. It’s a waste to let the land sit empty,” he said.
This intercropping practice arose from necessity, not just from following government initiatives. While official programs promote palm-corn or palm-rice cropping patterns, farmers in Kaur have long been doing it on their own. In fact, when the government distributes seeds, their quality is often questionable, so farmers prefer to buy their own reliable seeds to avoid the risk of crop failure.
The choice of corn is not solely about profit. Financially, corn is far less lucrative than horticultural crops like watermelon. However, the history of local agriculture explains the choice. In the past, rice dominated, but years of damaged irrigation forced farmers to switch to a more drought-resistant crop: corn. From this, an ecosystem emerged—middlemen who buy harvests, stores that provide seeds and fertilizers, and the spread of technical knowledge. By the time palm oil arrived, corn was already deeply rooted.
The positive impact is clear: intercropping allows farmers to produce food without having to clear new forests. With 16 million hectares of oil palm land in Indonesia—40% of which is managed by smallholder farmers—the potential contribution to food security is immense.
Still, challenges remain. How can this system become mainstream? “Teaching intercropping to palm oil farmers who are not used to planting corn is not easy. It requires a complete ecosystem: quality inputs, technical knowledge, and market access,” Jusrian explained. Without these components, adoption will remain sporadic.
The experience from Kaur shows that the success of intercropping is not just about agronomic evidence. The social and business aspects play an equally important role in ensuring this practice can grow and provide widespread benefits to the community. (T2)
