JAKARTA – The palm oil industry is not only a promising industry for western Indonesia. The industry is also a very promising one for eastern Indonesia, especially in Papua and West Papua.
The total acreage of oil palm plantations in eastern Indonesia — Sulawesi, Maluku, Papua and West Papua– is only 553,952 hectares or around 3.38 percent of Indonesia’s total 16.38 million hectares. But the plantations have played a very significant role in generating economic growth and reducing poverty in the region. Papua alone has a total of 58,656 hectares, while West Papua 110,496 hectares.
The economic coordinating ministry’s Deputy in charge of Foods and Agriculture Coordination, Musdhalifah Machmud said that the oil palm plantation areas in West Papua are mostly located in regencies of Manokwari, Sorong, Sorong Selatan, Maybrat, Teluk Bintuni and Fak Fak, while the plantation areas in Papua are located in regencies of Nabire, Jayapura, Keerom. Boven Digoel, Mappi and Merauke.
“We need to continually develop palm oil industry in eastern Indonesia, as it will create multiplier effects to the local economies, and eradicate the poverty there,” she said.
She said that the efforts to eradicate poverty in the region will be continued with a number of steps, which include the implementation of smallholders’ oil palm replanting program (PSR). “Nationally, our target of replanting during 2020-2022 is 540,000 hectares in 21 provinces, which include the provinces in eastern Indonesia. For Papua and West Papua alone, the target of PSR is 6,000 hectares “It will consist of 3,000 Ha for West Papua and another 3,000 Ha for Papua,” she said during a public discussion on the role of palm oil in eradicating poverty in eastern Indonesia which was organized by the agriculture journalists forum (Forwatan) in Jakarta on Monday, 12 April 2021.
She pointed out that the PSR will increase the smallholders’ productivity, sustainability, and income. “By implementing the replanting, the smallholders’ income will rise and the local poverty eradicated,” she added.
She said that the challenges of developing palm oil industry in Papua and West Papua include low productivity, poor infrastructure and transportation facilities, potential social conflicts, and low capacity of local people.
“Therefore, the government policy will focus on implementation of replanting, development of infrastructure and means of transportation, moratorium of oil palm plantation licensing, improvement of sustainability, and certification of Indonesian sustainable palm oil (ISPO),” she asserted. (*)
Source: KONTAN.CO.ID
