The Indonesian Palm Oil Association (Gapki) Central Kalimantan (Kalteng) Head Dwi Darmawan has denied reports that two oil palm plantation companies in the province had stopped their operations due to the outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19).
“None. So far, there is no oil palm company in Kalteng that had stopped operation. All maintain their operations under normal condition,” Dwi said during an online press conference on Tuesday.
He said that production and distribution were also proceeding normally. But he admitted that production of crude palm oil (CPO) slightly decreased. “But it’s due to the weather condition, not the Covid-19,” he said.
According to him, efforts of preventing the Covid-19 pandemic have been strictly implemented. The protocol on Covid-19 prevention issued by Gapki central board has been socialized among member companies and implemented with discipline. There are 170 oil palm plantation companies operating in Kalteng, of which 105 become members of Gapki Kalteng.
“We’ve also asked all members of Gapki Kalteng to tighten the implementation of Covid-19 prevention protocol,” he asserted. He was referring to health checking, mobility restriction, provision of hand washing facilities, establishment of command posts, and advice of no “mudik” (traveling to own home towns).
Amid the outbreak of Covid-19, all of oil palm companies operating in Kalteng have supported the government’s program of food security. “We support the government’s food security program by giving seeds assistance to the public,” he said.
The oil palm companies in Kalteng have distributed the seeds assistance, consisting of vegetable seeds and fruits seedlings, to the public long before the outbreak of Covid-19. Such assistances have even become more important to fight the Covid-19, especially if the pandemic will take longer time than expected.
Besides supporting the food security, the oil palm companies in Kalteng have also partnered with the province Covid-19 task force and the local governments. For example, cooperation in fighting the pandemic and in providing assistances, which consist of assistance to people impacted by the pandemic and packets of personal protective equipment (APD).
Source: mediaperkebunan.id | Photo illustration via astra-agro.co.id
