PALMOILMAGAZINE, JAKARTA – The production pathway holds paramount significance for smallholders within palm oil plantations, serving as the primary route through which they transport fresh fruit bunches (FFB) to mills.
However, should the production pathway become inaccessible or damaged, hindering the delivery of FFB to the mill, a concerning scenario arises. In such a situation, the FFB would be at risk of rotting, leading to substantial losses for the smallholders who are unable to sell their FFB produce.
This happens to the members of Kelompok Tani (Poktan) Benda Vold II in Village of Ujung Padang, Sub district of Kota Mukomuko District of Mukomuko, Bengkulu Province. Chairman of Poktan Benda Vold II, Agustian said, the production way that the smallholders should pass through gets broken. It happens for the past 13 years since the former Regent of Mukomuoko, Ichwan Yunus.
“I did approach and deliver proposals (to fix it) to Mukomuko Legislators but the agency could not make it,” he recently said to Palmoilmagazine.com.
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The 10 kilometer – way is very damaged. When it is rain, many smallholders cannot deliver their FFB (to mills) because they cannot pass through. “If the rain falls for two hours only in one week, we cannot pass through,” he said.
That is why the members of the group proposed to Palm Oil Plantation Fund Management Agency (PFMA) through Infrastructure Fund to fix the way.
“Because of it, for the past three months, about 4.000 tons of FFB were not harvested,” Agustian said.
The way is the main thing for about 400 independent smallholders that cultivate about 2.800 hectares. If they did not harvest their FFB production because of the broken way, the smallholders might loss about Rp 6,8 billion with the assumption, FFB is Rp 1.700/Kg.
Poktan Benda Vold II is proposing to get infrastructure fund from PFMA to improve it. Agustian continued, the proposal has been verified in the district and province level. “The last thing I know is that the proposal has been accepted by General Direcctorate of Plantation to get technical recommendation,” he said.
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One thing to worry is the numbers of fund that PFMA would be giving. Some told that the fund would be only Rp 2,5 billion. In fact, the fund to improve a 10 km – way would spend 14,8 billion. “The numbers were calculated by development plan that calculates fund plans as the need,” he said.
If the fund approved would be Rp 2,5 billion, it would improve less than 10 km. It means, there would be social jealousy among the smallholders. “I worry about that,” he said.
Though there is no certain and official information, Poktan Benda Vold II hoped that the fund would be the same numbers to distribute through SIMLUHTAN. “Hopefully our production way would be immediately improved,” Agustian said. (T2)
