PALMOILMAGAZINE, JAKARTA – In the plantation sector, numerous cooperatives have faced bankruptcy due to mismanagement. However, under the guidance of one man, a palm oil cooperative managed to survive and become the foundation of smallholders’ cooperation.
The journey began when Drs. Tamrin, MSi., was appointed as the Chairman of Koperasi Unit Desa Sejahtera in 2001. He was entrusted with resolving financial issues and revitalizing palm oil plantations spanning approximately 3,000 hectares, where many smallholders had established their plantations between 1995 and 1998 after the monetary crisis. Under his leadership, the smallholders’ plantations thrived and produced optimally until 2006.
After he was not the chairman of the union in Sub district of Babat Toaman District of Musi Banyuasin, South Sumatera Province, the cooperation was stagnant because of mis-management. Tamrin was trusted again to lead it in 2015.
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With his hand, the cooperation resurrected. In 2017 there was a smallholders’ replanting program (SRP) from Palm Oil Plantation Fund Management Agency (PFMA). In 2019 the cooperation successfully got SRP fund that laid about 614 hectares.
In 2020 the cooperation got SRP that laid about 1.202 hectares. Until 2023 the members of the cooperation that got SRP and others totally developed 3.072 hectares. 1.246 hectares were harvested and the rests would be harvested in 2024. Fresh fruit bunch (FFB) trade from the cooperation got turnover about 1,8 billion rupiah per month.
In 2018 palm oil plantations where KUD Sejahtera cultivated successfully got Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certificate and would get Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certificate. This showed that the plantations implement sustainability principles and criteria.
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The interesting is that the cooperation develops to be the one that constructs palm oil mill in cooperation with PT Pussa. The cooperation would have the stocks at least 10 percent. But it is in permit process still.
For being famous as the figure who could seek finance and deliver solution, Tamrin now becomes the member of Musi Banyuasin Legislators. His success to welfare the members of cooperation and workers were spoken in the society and become a constituent.
He also emphasized, it needs to run transparency, develop team work system to get firmness of rights and obligation, and develop the fair togetherness.
“I would like to emphasize myself that it is important to develop values of sincerity. We are ordered by the Almighty. We did good or bad, everything was captured by Allah SWT. Every work should be taken as worship,” he said, as in the official statement to Palmoilmagazine.com. (T2)
