JAKARTA – The campaign on healthy palm oil needs to be expanded to the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and cooperatives that involve in food and culinary businesses. The SMEs and cooperatives are the main palm oil consumers who need sustainable supply of palm oil at affordable prices.
Musdhalifah Machmud, Deputy in charge of foods and agribusiness at the economic coordinating ministry, said that currently derivative products of palm oil have reached more than 146 types.
“The development of palm oil derivative products is an important part of efforts to increase the added value of palm oil. Hopefully, the industry players will continue to increase the added value of palm oil,” Musdhalifah said when addressing the webinar organized by Sawit Indonesia magazine last week.
Musdhalifah said that the small and medium businesses should be encouraged to take part in the efforts of increasing the added value of palm oil by using it as raw material to produce healthy foods and cooking oil, and other products, such as soaps and hand sanitizers. “That way the SMEs and cooperatives will also increase their financial performances and in turn push up the prosperity of oil palm smallholders in the upstream. Their development can also stand as a promotion and increase bargaining position, competitiveness and access to the market,” she said.
Eddy Abdurrachman, President Director of the oil palm plantation fund management board (BPDPKS), said that the campaign on healthy palm oil, which is supported by BPDPKS, has functioned as a driving force to establish partnerships with the small and medium businesses.
“The palm oil industry has played a very important role in generating Indonesian economic growth. Indonesia as the largest producer of palm oil in the world has produced various products from palm oil, which include food products like cooking oil, creamer, shortening, margarine, and cocoa butter substitute; and non-food products like soaps and detergents, cosmetics, pharmaceutical products, hand sanitizers and biofuel,” Eddy said in his written speech, which was read out by Achmad Maulizal, the head of corporate division at BPDPKS during the webinar. (*)
Source: KONTAN.CO.ID
