PALMOILMAGAZINE, KONAWE UTARA – Palm oil cultivation in Southeast Sulawesi, particularly in the Konawe Utara Regency, continues to expand due to land adjustments. This growth isn’t limited to companies; independent individuals are also establishing their own palm oil plantations.
The Plantation Agency of Konawe Utara Regency stated that there are approximately 7,000 hectares of palm oil plantations owned by independent smallholders in the area. However, these smallholders encounter various challenges in developing their plantations.
Arwan, the Chairman of the Serikat Petani Kelapa Sawit (SPKS) in Konawe Utara, highlighted several issues faced by independent smallholders. These include difficulties in obtaining certified seeds, implementing proper cultivation practices (such as establishing nurseries in immature plantations), managing fertilization, and accessing fertilizers.
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“By having the best and sustainable practices, it is hoped the independent smallholders’ skills and knowledge would be better,” he said.
As smallholders’ organization, SPKS keeps supporting them in Konawe Utara to get more knowledge and help to get access on cultivation practices based on good agricultural practices (GAP). Besides, SPKS conducts cooperation with Plantation Agency by having memorandum of understanding that was held on Thursday (7/3/2024) to reinforce and develop independent smallholders in their institutions, reinforce their capacity according to GAP.
“The trainings about GAP and smallholders’ institution reinforcement are in cooperation with a plantation company – PT Sultra Prima Lestari (SPL). SPKS trainers are from Jambi and West Kalimantan for they have skills, experiences to develop sustainable palm oil plantations,” Arwan said to Palmoilmagazine.com, Monday (11/3/2024).
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For information, the trainings were about selecting palm oil seeds, the planting, immature plantation nursery until productive, how to control pests and diseases. Everything was running in smallholders’ plantations that are productive.
SPKS hoped the independent smallholders would establish their insitutions so that they would get bargaining position, be easier to get fertilizer access and the supports from local government. The training is hoped that they would get knowledge to implement GAP and would be capable to nurse their own (T1)
