PALMOILMAGAZINE, JAKARTA – Holding Perkebunan Nusantara III (Persero), through its subsidiary PT Perkebunan Nusantara V, has made significant strides in enhancing the productivity of smallholders’ palm oil plantations and addressing the issue of counterfeit seeds. One of the noteworthy innovations involves the implementation of a digitalization system.
In late 2021, the subsidiary, which operates in Bumi Lancang Kuning, Riau Province, introduced “Sawit Rakyat Online,” an Android application that garnered over 10,000 downloads on the Play Store. This user-friendly application was designed to provide smallholders with easy access to certified superior seeds.
CEO PTPN V, Jatmiko Santosa said that fake palm oil seeds are the serious issues for smallholders. They are always tricked by fake seeds and have to get low productivity. The economic impact is that they get losses for about 25 to 30 years.
“Imagine if you select fake seeds, the smallholders get misguided. For 25 to 30 years, their plantations do not grow maximally, get low productivity and have something with their economy. That is why we launched this program through the touch of technology,” he said as Palmoilmagazine.com quoted from the official page of PTPN V, Monday (18/9/2023).
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“Sawit Rakyat Online” has been running for the past three years successfully. More than 1,6 million certified seeds have been distributed to more than 4.300 smallholders. Besides facilitating palm oil seed trade, the application also provides online discussion forum that enables the smallholders to get two – way communication to realize sustainable plantations.
Jatmiko also told that the spirit of PTPN V is to develop and grow with smallholders. Minister of Enterprises, Erick Thohir appreciated the transformation in PTPN V to help the smallholders by providing qualified and certified palm oil seeds.
One smallholder, Rustam Efendi told that the policy is very helpful for them. Apart from transparency, the smallholders could trace palm oil seeds that are the same with the buyers. As the result, his palm oil plantations grow and produce well after buying purchased 1.000 seeds to replant his 8 hectare – plantations in 2021.
“This is an incredible breakthrough from PTPN V. As smallholder, this is the answer of our concern from the tsunami of fake seeds in the markets,” Rustam said. (T2)
