PALMOILMAGAZINE, JAKARTA – Vice Minister of Agriculture, Sudaryono, emphasized the importance of smallholders planting superior, certified seeds to support the government’s B35 biodiesel program, which blends 35 percent palm oil with diesel fuel. This initiative is aimed at boosting clean energy production from palm oil.
“The B35 and other similar initiatives rely on palm oil as a key material. Therefore, in addition to expanding palm oil plantations, we must ensure that certified, high-quality seeds are planted,” he stated in Jakarta on Monday (12/8).
The B35 program, proposed by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, is part of a broader effort to increase sustainable clean energy. It is more environmentally friendly because it produces lower carbon emissions compared to conventional diesel fuel.He also emphasized it needs to increase qualified palm oil seeds to help the program implementation. “Please, purchase certified seeds because they would determine the harvest numbers,” he emphasized as Palmoilmagazine.com quoted from Antara.
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Sudaryono reminded the smallholders should be aware of the fake seed trade that many happened in online platform. He thought, this would be a loss for the smallholders, would have something to do with supply chain and palm oil business in Indonesia. The ministry has firmly act by reporting the fake seed traders to the authority.
Besides, he also emphasized it would need to massively deliver education for the people and smallholders about superior seeds planting to prevent them to be the victims that would deliver long term – losses in their business up to tens of years.
He also saw the laboratory facility at Balai Besar Perbenihan dan Proteksi Tanaman Perkebunan (BBPPTP) Medan, North Sumatera Province where it was full of available human resources and technology in testing superior seeds.
Prior, Minister of Agriculture, Andi Amran Sulaiman emphasized that it would be significant to monitor and discipline seed trade namely in online platforms. This would be about to escalate the smallholders’ plantation production and productivity. (P2)
