PALMOILMAGAZINE, JAKARTA – Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/Head of the National Land Agency (ATR/BPN), Nusron Wahid, is once again in the spotlight. This time, he openly revealed that the state will take over 3.7 million hectares of problematic palm oil plantations. This measure is being carried out by the Palm Oil Task Force, which has already reclaimed 1.1 million hectares of disputed land.
The Palm Oil Task Force, led by Minister of Defense Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, is responsible for addressing palm oil plantations with unclear legal status and returning them to the state. According to the task force’s findings, millions of hectares of palm plantations overlap with forest areas.
“The Palm Oil Task Force has identified approximately 3.7 million hectares of palm oil plantations that encroach on forest areas,” Nusron stated during an interview at his office on Monday (24/2/2025). Additionally, the team discovered plantations operating without plantation business permits (IUP) and those lacking land use rights (HGU) documentation.
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Nusron emphasized that illegal palm oil plantations pose a significant issue that must be resolved promptly. Therefore, the government, through the Palm Oil Task Force, will take firm action to reclaim these lands.
Moving forward, this initiative is expected to provide legal certainty regarding land ownership and ensure more sustainable and regulated palm oil plantation management. Moreover, the measure aims to protect forest areas from unauthorized land conversion. (P2)
