PALMOILMAGAZINE, PALEMBANG – Efforts to improve the productivity of Indonesia’s independent oil palm plantations continue through technical capacity-building programs aimed at strengthening the competitiveness of the national palm oil industry.
A total of 101 oil palm smallholders from Ogan Komering Ilir (OKI) Regency, South Sumatra, participated in an Oil Palm Cultivation Training program organized by IPB Training in collaboration with the Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDP) and the Directorate General of Plantations under the Ministry of Agriculture. The program was held in Palembang from June 30 to July 5, 2026, as part of the government’s plantation human resource development initiative.
Combining classroom instruction with hands-on field practice, the training equipped participants with practical skills to manage their plantations more efficiently and improve productivity.
During the opening session, Mula Putra, Head of the Empowerment and Institutional Development Group at the Directorate of Oil Palm and Other Palm Crops, Directorate General of Plantations, said smallholder plantations account for a significant share of Indonesia’s total oil palm area. However, he noted that their productivity still has substantial room for improvement through better farmer competencies.
Ogan Komering Ilir is one of South Sumatra’s major oil palm-producing regions, with tens of thousands of hectares under smallholder cultivation. According to Mula Putra, enhancing farmers’ technical capabilities is expected to directly increase yields while improving the livelihoods of communities that depend on the plantation sector.
Throughout the program, participants received comprehensive training covering plantation regulations, estate planning, land preparation based on soil conservation and water management principles, nursery management, certified seed selection, planting techniques, and proper field layout.
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The curriculum also included best practices for managing both immature and mature oil palm trees, including pruning, castration, water management, and fertilizer application based on the 5T principles to optimize crop growth.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) was another key component, with farmers learning how to identify pest and disease symptoms and apply effective control measures while maintaining workplace safety and environmental sustainability.
In addition to classroom sessions, participants conducted practical exercises such as testing fertilizer quality, measuring soil pH, and calculating pesticide requirements based on technical recommendations, enabling them to make evidence-based plantation management decisions.
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The training also featured a field visit to the Sembawa Rubber Research Center, where participants observed nursery operations, crop maintenance, and fresh fruit bunch (FFB) harvesting practices in accordance with good agricultural standards.
The program concluded with a post-training assessment to evaluate participants’ knowledge gains. Through the collaboration between BPDP, the Directorate General of Plantations, and IPB Training, the initiative is expected to strengthen farmers’ technical skills, raise smallholder plantation productivity in Ogan Komering Ilir, and contribute to both regional and national economic growth. (P2)
