PALMOILMAGAZINE, BALIKPPAN – The plantation sector, particularly in palm oil, has emerged as a crucial industry in East Kalimantan Province. Ence Achmad Rafiddin Rizal, the Head of the Plantation Agency in East Kalimantan Province, stated that palm oil plantations in the province cover approximately 1,411,861 hectares (ha). This land is divided into main plantations spanning about 972,152 ha and plasma/people/independent smallholders’ plantations covering around 373,212 ha.
Private plantation companies play a significant role in supporting palm oil plantations in the province. A total of 303 companies hold business rights over approximately 1,266,389 ha, while 304 companies possess plantation business permits for about 2,317,295 ha. Additionally, there are 109 palm oil mills operating with a capacity of processing 5,955 tons of fresh fruit bunch (FFB) per hour, although the applied capacity stands at 5,319 tons of FFB per hour.
However, challenges persist regarding data reporting and management. According to data from the Plantation Licensing Information System (SIPERIBUN), only 198 plantation companies in the province have submitted their reports through the platform, representing only about 65 percent of the total number of eligible companies.
Also Read: Ministry of Agriculture: Every Planter Should Get Self Reporting via Siperibun
“Some other companies did not report their program and development through SIPERIBUN application yet,” he said, as Palmoilmagazine.com quoted from the official page of East Kalimantan Province, Thursday (9/5/2024).
Ence continued that the main issue was about the complete data to be input in the application. To solve it, it would be significant to collaborate with the central government. The same language and standard report between the central and regional government would help improve palm oil industrial governance in a whole.
To escalate the participation and understanding about SIPERIBUN application, General Directorate of Plantation Ministry of Agriculture and Indonesian Palm Oil Association (IPOA) would conduct a meeting to deliver explanation about the policy, technic, and delivering data input in the application.
It is hoped that the meeting would significantly deliver advantages to escalate the knowledge, insight, and skills about the report in plantation sector and reinforce the cooperation between the stakeholders (planters) and the government to realize the targets. (T2)
