JAKARTA – Plantations, including the palm oil industry, are the leading sector of South Kalimantan (Kalsel) agriculture which is able to withstand the impacts of Covid-19 pandemic.

Based on data from the Statistics Indonesia (BPS), Kalsel province has a total oil palm plantation area of 426,445 hectares, consisting of 313,545 hectares owned by private companies, 6,489 hectares owned by state-owned companies, and 106,441 hectares owned by smallholders. The total acreages produce 1,130,745 tons of crude palm oil (CPO) per year.

“There are 97 oil palm plantation companies operating in Kalsel province, with 39 palm oil mills (PKS). The palm oil industry in Kalsel province employs a total of 71,066 workers,” Kalsel Acting Governor Safrizal ZA was quoted by sawitindonesia.com as saying recently.

He said that the Kalsel provincial government has been continually increasing productivity of oil palm plantations through the replanting program (PSR) that is supported by the oil palm plantation fund management board (BPDPKS).

“During the period of 2018 – 2021 the PSR program had managed to replant 16,217 hectares of smallholders’ plantations. The replanting target for 2021 is 11,900 hectares. The PSR program is allocated in regencies of Banjar, Tanah Laut, Tanah Bumbu, Kotabaru, and Barito Kuala,” said Safrizal.

According to him, the provincial government will expand the development of downstream palm oil industries in Kalsel. “So far, we only have two palm oil-based cooking oil factories,” he said.

“We also need to diversify the integration of palm oil with other commodities to strengthen our food resilience. One of them is the integration of oil palm plantations with cattle farm as part of efforts to accelerate beef self-sufficiency in Kalsel,” said Safrizal.

Source: wartaekonomi.co.id | Featured image via kompas.com