PALMOILMAGAZINE, KOTABARU – The Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan), through the Directorate General (Ditjen) of Plantations, continues to encourage the increase in production and productivity of smallholder oil palm by replacing unproductive plants through the Palm Oil Smallholder Replanting Program, also known as PSR.
They also invite oil palm smallholders to actively plant rice on plantation land. This time, they are working with Gajah Mada Cooperative, Telagasari Village, Kelumpang Hilir District, Kotabaru Regency, South Kalimantan Province.
“Alhamdulillah, the kick-off of the first planting of the palm oil smallholder replanting program through partnership and upland rice intercropping in South Kalimantan Province has been successfully carried out. We hope that this program can build a positive synergy between all parties in supporting the acceleration of the PSR program,” said Ardi Praptono, Director of Oil Palm and Various Palm Crops, representing the Director General of Plantations, on Wednesday, April 24.
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This is in line with the direction of the Minister of Agriculture, Andi Amran Sulaiman, for the Directorate General of Plantations to support the successful implementation of the Optimization of Swamp Land, Pumping of Rainfed Land, and Intercropping of Upland Rice in Fiscal Year 2024.
For information, the Directorate General of Plantations is responsible for preparing plantation land and CPCL recipients of upland rice intercropping activities as an effort to increase the rice planting area.
Ardi added that the PSR program is the government’s effort to increase the productivity and quality of palm oil through the replacement of unproductive plants with quality seeds through the application of Good Agriculture Practices (GAP). Since 2017, the Directorate General of Plantations has issued Technical Recommendations covering 337,647 hectares for 150,770 smallholders, while for South Kalimantan province, Technical Recommendations have been issued covering 5,989 hectares for 3,089 smallholders.
“We still need to encourage this achievement, so that the consistency of the fulfillment of raw material production is maintained and sustainable,” Ardi added, as quoted by Palmoilmagazine.com from the Ministry of Agriculture’s website written on Thursday, May 2, 2024.
The development of oil palm plantations is expected to not only increase productivity but also synergize all parties involved. The Ministry of Agriculture hoped that all oil palm stakeholders, especially local governments, oil palm plantation companies, banking leaders, associations, and oil palm planters, could work together to support and succeed the PSR program optimally.
“We hope that companies and smallholders through smallholder institutions can carry out partnerships that are mutually beneficial, mutually respectful, mutually responsible, mutually reinforcing, and interdependent,” Ardi said again.
Furthermore, Ardi revealed that in 2024, Indonesia will be faced with a prolonged climate change phenomenon (El Nino) since last year, which has affected Indonesia’s palm oil production. This natural phenomenon recurs periodically and has various impacts on the palm oil industry. This requires special and strategic efforts to consistently maintain Indonesia’s palm oil production and food security.
“We urge, as well as invite, you to take a role in supporting our food security through intercropping food crops (Kesatria) on oil palm land with seasonal crops such as rice, and with this Kesatria program, it is hoped that we can continue to maintain our food security,” Ardi concluded. (P3)
