Palmoilmagazine - Perkumpulan Petani Sawit Nusantara (PSN) was established on 15 July 2020. But because of Covid-19 pandemic, the activity was postponed. After Covid-19 started to cool down, on 17 July PSN was declared again. The declarators were Haminuddin Nasution – the representative of smallholders in North Sumatera; Hendry Halim – the representative of smallholders in West Kalimantan; Syahril – the representative of West Sumatera; Ramsi – the representative of Bangka Belitung; Misno Udin Tolinggi – the representative of Gorontalo.
The goals of PSN are about to unite every smallholders’ legal associations, groups in Indonesia to be one power of economy that would equally escalate the smallholders’ welfare; develop people’s economy in the villages by developing smallholders’ businesses which are environmental and useful for every component of the nation to realize fair and welfare smallholders; increase and empower smallholders’ resources to master modern technology and science; prepare the smallholders to be professional which would be able to compete in globalization era; bridge the smallholders, stakeholders, and governments’ interests to realize by not harming many sides; protect smallholders’ interests from anything which harms the smallholders’ lives in Indonesia.
To realize the goals, the main tasks of PSN are to keep, develop, increase, and strengthen the organization; deliver education and skill training for the members; relate cooperation with the governments, privates, and foreign stakeholders; increase added values from palm oil businesses that the members manage; struggle for the smallholders’ rights and protect the members’ human rights.
Hendry Halim, Chairman of PSN told the organization would really act for the smallholders. PSN was born from the planters which are the smallholders. There is no intention to compete with other smallholders’ associations, no politics, but independent. PSN would act more in economy and empowerment.
Fresh fruit bunch (FFB) is less than Rp 1.000/kg or less than the economic price. The smallholders would be able to survive if it is about Rp 1500 – Rp 1700/kg. PSN would empower the smallholders to get their own bargaining position; stable price; position in the supply chain; network, and clear market guarantee. The smallholders are the subjects not the objects.
Smallholders replanting program (SRP) is in progress but in the fields, many are afraid of being investigated by the attorney and police. This situation takes place in many provinces. Developing palm oil is not enough only by relying on the fund delivered by Palm Oil Plantation Fund Management Agency (PFMA). It needs sustainability. PSN would get into it by optimizing the available resources.
In SRP, the trees were chipped only. In fact, the cutting would be having big economic potential. That is why PSN would involve the main partner from Japan – Shin Imai which was the representative of Food and Agriculture Organization to advantage the stalks of palm oil trees as the source of biomass, fertilizers, and woof. “In the first phase, we would develop two mills in West Kalimantan and Bangka Belitung within the latest technology to process palm oil stalks within 5.000 tons per day that could be taken from SRP that covers 5.000 hectares,” he said.
Syahril, the declarator from West Sumatera told, PSN would also focus to the independent smallholders that are not protected yet. When FFB gets cheaper, the independent ones directly get the impact while plasma smallholders would get the impact next month. But when FFB gets more expensive the independent ones get the impact the last. The stalks in SRP are not taken for advantage yet. PSN would do partnership with the smallholders to advantage the waste to be having high value as the start. The smallholders would be having mills and downstream industries.
Misno Udin Tolinggi, the declarator of Gorontalo told, PSN would get into every activity which the smallholders have not done yet. For all these years, the smallholders just sold FFB. When CPO gets cheaper, FFB does too. PSN would deliver programs in order that they should not sell FFB only within the goal, if CPO and FFB get cheaper, they have other sources of income.
PSN would not stand alone but be in cooperation with the governments, stakeholders, and PFMA. The government, as it is hoped, would publish the regulations that would escalate the smallholders’ economy, and protect their rights. It would encourage people’s industrialization to be food and energy producer which the world needs.
Hamid Nasution, the declarator of North Sumatera noted, the smallholders would be in their glory and having fairness by PSN. The contribution would enliven them by people’s industrialization. They would be more independent on their own feet. The start would be by optimizing their plantations.
Ramsi, declarator of Bangka Belitung told, PSN is non-profit organization but would make the real business units in the society. It would start with the business that processes waste and others by optimizing every potential from the smallholders’ plantations.
Shin Imai, the main partner from Japan told, Japan has been processing wood to be biomass to get energy, food, and fertilizers. The cows eating woof – wood base would have better meat quality that those eating conventional woof. Indonesia where palm oil plantations develop very vast in the world, now implements SRP and the stalks could be processed like what Japan does. Palm oil stalks are the enormous sources of economy to reduce chemical fertilizers, woof, and energy which get more expensive. If the stalks are taken for advantage well, it would realize the zero waste - economic circular. Not many countries have extraordinary potential like Indonesia. (T2)
