PALMOILMAGAZINE, JAKARTA – Palm oil plantations in Kotawaringin Barat Regency, Central Kalimantan, are meant to be a crucial support for the local community through the 20% plasma program. However, despite some progress, social issues have emerged, particularly boundary conflicts between villages and challenges in plantation management.
Yusuf, a smallholder from Riam Durian in Kotawaringin Lama Sub-district, highlighted that one major issue is the one-stop management system used by the company managing the plantations. This system covers multiple villages, often leading to tensions due to unclear boundaries.
“The plasma plantations managed by the company are located in other villages, causing disputes with the local community. We want equal rights to these areas,” Yusuf explained.
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The concern among villagers is heightened because many have inherited these lands over generations, with Kotawaringin Lama being 450 years old. Although some villagers’ plantations are just 500 meters from the village center, their lands are classified as forest areas, making it difficult to obtain legal ownership documents.
This issue is further complicated by the PTSL (Complete Systematic Land Registration) program, which cannot be implemented because of the ongoing land disputes. The villagers are calling on the government to help resolve the issue in line with existing regulations to safeguard their land rights.
Besides, the villagers also faced issue to get access from Palm Oil Plantation Fund Management Agency because their areas were considered in troubled ones. “Without clearly having legal documents on their areas, we would be difficult to get guarantee from the banks to develop their businesses,” Yusuf said.
Some villages in Kotawaringin Lama do not get plasma program maximally (20%). They said that the regulation of minister of agriculture should restrict the villagers to cultivate their business and they were not getting better.
They hoped the governments and related parties would immediately get solution and serious attention on the conflict. “We want the fair and transparent solution so our rights as farmers/smallholders would get protection and maximally get advantages from the partnership with palm oil plantation companies,” he said.
With the massive palm oil plantation potential in the regency, the villagers hoped the government would really act to solve the boundary conflict and available plantation cultivation issue. (P2)