PALMOILMAGAZINE, SIAK – The Serikat Petani Kelapa Sawit (SPKS) continues its efforts to promote the acceleration of Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certification among smallholders through collaborative efforts in the Siak Regency, Riau Province. Previously, SPKS also motivated smallholders in the Rokan Hulu Regency, Riau Province, to obtain ISPO certification.
SPKS Chairman, Sabarudin, emphasized the urgency of ISPO acceleration for independent smallholders, as the Indonesian Government has mandated ISPO certification for them. Financial support from regional governments, facilitated through palm oil profit sharing, will strengthen and facilitate the process of obtaining cultivation permits. Additionally, the Palm Oil Plantation Fund Management Agency (PFMA) will provide funding to assist smallholders with land preparation until they obtain ISPO certification.
“ISPO certification process is hoped to deliver fund help from palm oil profit sharing and PFMA until the independent smallholders would get ISPO certificate,” he said to Palmoilmagazine.com in Siak, Riau (29/2/2024).
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In ISPO acceleration socialization for SPKS members in Regency of Siak, Plantation Agency Regency of Siak, Irwan Saputra also supported SPKS to encourage the groups to get ISPO certificate.
“Plantation Agency Regency of Siak also supports SPKS so that the independent smallholders would get ISPO certificate,” Irwan said.
Secretariat Head ISPO Commission, Herdrajat Natawijaya said that ISPO certificate is important for smallholders so that they can sell their fresh fruit bunch (FFB) production. He also told ISPO Secretariat has done socialization together with many smallholders’ organizations, for instance, SPKS.
“Social, economic, and environmental aspects would be the successful ways for the independent smallholders in their plantations cultivation,” Herdrajat said.
Dwi from PFMA also told that the institution encouraged ISPO certification for smallholders namely the independent ones.
“Through ISPO acceleration socialization that SPKS proposed, the smallholders would be encouraged to get ISPO certification with fund supports from PFMA,” Dwi said.
ISPO certificate is hoped to deliver advantages for them, produce sustainable crude palm oil and get market access both in this country and abroad. That is why it significant to involve them by gathering them through smallholders’ organizations.
Activist of SPKS, Novet said the organization keeps developing independent smallholders to implement ISPO principles and criteria. He also took others in Regency of Siak particularly independent smallholders to get involved in every activity that SPKS would do.
“Sustainable palm oil cultivation should be part of the independent smallholders’ cultivation improvement to be more environmental,” Novet said. (T1)
