JAKARTA – The Indonesian Palm Oil Association (GAPKI) has emphasized the importance of replanting oil palm plantations, especially those owned by smallholders, to double their productivity. GAPKI Chairman Eddy Martono stated that every hectare of palm plantations that had been replanted will be able to produce up to 20 tons of fresh fruit bunches (FFB) per hectare per year.
“Currently, the average production of FFB of smallholders’ plantations is only at around 10 tons per hectare per year, or even less than that in some areas. But with the replanting program, their production will double to 20 tons,” Eddy said after a meeting with agriculture minister at the agriculture ministry office in Jakarta on Wednesday (11/03/2026).
According to Eddy, the smallholders will not have to wait long after replanting to harvest. Within 2.5 years, the replanted oil palm plantations will bear fruit and will increase rapidly in the coming years. “Maybe in five years, there will be a significant increase,” Eddy said. He said that Indonesia’s crude palm oil (CPO) production increased to 56 million tons in 2025, consisting of 51 million tons of CPO and 5.0 million tons of palm kernel oil (PKO). This productivity increase is the result of replanting on company-owned oil palm plantations.
“Our production should be much higher than this if the replanting program for smallholders’ oil palm plantations is running smoothly,” said Eddy. Currently, the implementation of replanting program for smallholders is stagnating not because of licensing problems, but because farmers are reluctant to cut down their aging trees.
They question GAPKI about their livelihoods when the oil palm trees are cut down and new seedlings are planted. Replanting will mean for them as having no regular income until their replanted plantations will start production again. “Sometimes the farmers are reluctant. For example, now, with the high price of fresh fruit bunches (FFB) at 3,000, they don’t want to cut down their trees,” said Eddy. According to Eddy, newly planted oil palms can be harvested again within 2.5 years.
Therefore, GAPKI and the government are trying to find solutions for smallholders to encourage them to join the replanting. The solutions include the intercropping scheme in their own plantations, which will allow them to have income in short time. GAPKI submitted such proposal to Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman, and he already approved it. “So our production can increase significantly beyond its current level,” Eddy explained.
“Because our needs continue to increase, especially with the biodiesel program. It continues to increase every year,” he added. Eddy hopes that the government will make the replanting program as mandatory, so that all smallholders’ plantations are required to undergo replanting program. Meanwhile, oil palm plantations owned by companies have undertaken replanting periodically on their own. “What I’m talking is about replanting for smallholders’ plantations. Regarding companies, they’ve automatically replanted their plantations periodically,” said Eddy. (*)
Kompas.com. (2026, 11 March). GAPKI: Peremajaan Sawit Bikin Produksi Naik 2 Kali Lipat. https://money.kompas.com/read/2026/03/11/192800226/gapki-peremajaan-sawit-bikin-produksi-naik-2-kali-lipat
