PALMOILMAGAZINE, NORTH ACEH – Koperasi Produsen Perkebunan Berkat Bunga Damai has expressed hopes that the plantation road infrastructure program funded by the Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDP) can soon be realized through a self-management scheme involving local farmers’ cooperatives.
Chairman of the cooperative, Abubakar AR, said hundreds of smallholder palm oil farmers are still awaiting clarity regarding the plantation facilities and infrastructure proposal submitted in April 2025 through the BPDP infrastructure support application system.
According to Abubakar, the application process has been lengthy and exhausting for farmers who are eager to improve plantation accessibility and productivity.
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The cooperative has proposed the construction of plantation access roads covering four villages with a total plantation area of around 780 hectares. The proposed locations include Cot Girek Village in Cot Girek District, as well as Seureuke, Lubok Pusaka, and Buket Linteung villages in Langkahan District, North Aceh Regency.
Abubakar explained that plantation roads are crucial for supporting harvesting activities and improving the transportation of fresh fruit bunches from plantations to processing facilities. Better road access, he said, would significantly improve operational efficiency for farmers in the area.
He added that farmers strongly hope the road construction work can be implemented through a self-management mechanism so cooperative members can directly participate in and benefit economically from the project.
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According to him, farmers do not want to merely watch development projects take place in their own plantations without being involved in the implementation process.
Abubakar also emphasized that the cooperative has sufficient organizational capacity and experience to handle self-managed infrastructure projects. He pointed out that the cooperative recently obtained Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification in March 2026, reflecting its commitment to good governance and sustainable plantation management.
He believes involving cooperative members directly in the construction process would also help ensure better quality control and long-term maintenance of the plantation roads because local farmers themselves would oversee the infrastructure on the ground.
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In addition to RSPO certification, the cooperative is currently preparing to pursue Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certification as part of its broader commitment to sustainable palm oil practices.
Abubakar revealed that the proposal for the plantation road project is currently being processed at the Aceh Provincial Agriculture and Plantation Agency and is awaiting further submission to the Directorate General of Plantations at the national level.
For now, cooperative members continue monitoring updates through the BPDP infrastructure application system while hoping the project can move forward soon under a self-management implementation model. (P2)
