Govt Urged to Clarify Oil Palm Plantation Status

Businesspeople are committed to helping traditional oil palm farmers. However, they have called on the government to be serious in resolving related land issues.

Kompas/Ferganata Indra Riatmoko

Pintauli Manurung (left) and Esron Simbolon, her son, clean weeds at their oil palm plantation in Nagari Pengkolan, Bosar Maligas district, Simalungun, North Sumatra, on Monday (12/3).

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – In 2017, businesspeople grouped in the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (IPOA) partnered with plasma farmers cultivating 800,000 hectares (ha) of small oil palm plots (plasma gardens) and with independent farmers cultivating 379,000 ha of oil palm plantations. The IPOA plans to expand its partnership to 890,000 ha of plasma gardens and 440,000 ha independent palm oil plantations by 2019.

IPOA chair Joko Supriyono presented the plan in Jakarta at the association’s 10th National Assembly on Wednesday (14/3). Thus far, traditional oil palm plantations have yet to reach optimal production because of the use of uncertified seeds and lack of maintenance, fertilizer and infrastructure. Of the 4.7 million ha of traditional oil palm plantations, an estimated 2.4 million ha are in need of restoration while the other 2.3 million ha requires improvements in infrastructure, maintenance and the management of farmers groups.