JAKARTA – The government will open a new opportunity for oil palm growers to increase the national production of palm oil by utilizing idle and marginal land areas across the archipelagic country.
Agriculture Minister and the National Food Agency (Bapanas) Chairman Andi Amran Sulaiman emphasized that the new policy will be focused on utilization of unforested land areas as a way to raise national palm oil production without damaging the environment. “The government will push up the palm oil production by encouraging the palm plantation expansion without affecting the existing forest areas and existing agricultural land areas,” the minister said.
He said the expansion will be directed to marginal land areas, which are not so far optimally utilized. “Our priority is the barren land areas and unforested areas. Those kinds of land areas that we’ll optimize for expansion of palm plantations,” Amran said in Jakarta on Wednesday (15/4/2026).
According to Amran, the use of unproductive land areas can become the new source of growth for palm oil industries. Besides increasing the production of crude palm oil (CPO), the policy will also improve the governance of national land areas.
He said that such a step will give added value from the side of economy, while strengthening Indonesia’s position at the global market.
“If we utilize the marginal lands, it will bring benefits to our country, especially our forestry sector,” he said.
Amran added that global CPO price trends and increased exports will be the main driving factors for increased production. When prices increase, farmers are expected to plant more aggressively.
“If prices rise and exports improve, production will automatically increase because farmers are more enthusiastic,” he said.
He also ensured that regulations remain in place to prevent oil palm expansion from disrupting agricultural land such as rice fields. The government aims to implement this policy soon.
Prabowo’s Energy Push
In line with the palm expansion, President Prabowo Subianto is promoting the use of palm oil as part of the national strategy to achieve the country’s energy self-sufficiency. He has asked regions, particularly Papua, to develop commodities such as palm oil, sugar cane, and cassava for biofuel production.
According to Prabowo, these commodities have big potential as raw materials to produce bioenergy, ranging from biodiesel to ethanol, which can replace a number of conventional oil fuels to meet country’s energy need.
“We want regions to be able to produce their own energy, including from palm oil,” Prabowo said.
Strengthening the bioenergy sector is believed to reduce fuel imports and reduce the burden of state subsidies. Prabowo estimates that savings could reach hundreds of trillions of rupiah annually if this program is implemented optimally.
“If this works, we can reduce imports and save a significant amount of money,” he said. (*)
Sawitku.id. Govt To Push Palm Expansion Through Use of Marginal Lands. https://www.sawitku.id/sawitku/81417000622/pemerintah-buka-opsi-tanam-sawit-di-lahan-nganggur-produktivitas-diproyeksi-melejit. 16 April 2026
