JAKARTA – The Oil Palm Plantation Fund Management Board (BPDPKS) has allocated this year a total fund of Rp5.4 trillion to finance the program of replanting smallholders’ oil palm plantations and breeding program of oil palm seedlings.
BPDPKS President Director Eddy Abdurrachman said that with the fund of Rp5.4 trillion the government will provide a financial assistance of Rp30 million for every hectare that included in the replanting program of 180,000 hectares being targeted by the agriculture ministry this year.
“BPDPKS was established in 2015. So far, we’ve given a total fund of Rp8 trillion for replanting. This year alone we’ve allocated Rp5.4 trillion to replant a total of 180,000 hectares of smallholders’ oil palm plantations. We hope all of the fund can be absorbed so that the replanting target can be achieved this year,” Eddy Abdurrachman said on the sidelines of the plantation expo (BUNEX) 2023 which was held at the Indonesia Convention Exhibition BSD Tangerang Selatan, Banten, on 7-9 September 2023.
He said that to get the financial assistance from the BPDPKS, the smallholders have to fulfill a number of requirements. “The requirements are stipulated in the agriculture minister’s regulation (Permentan). The smallholders should file their replanting proposal through their local institutions, such as cooperatives, to the agriculture ministry’s plantation directorate general, which will then issue technical recommendations. It is based on the recommendation that the BPDPKS will provide the financial assistance,” he said.
He said that to support the replanting program, BPDPKS has also established a collaboration with the plantation directorate general to implement the program of breeding oil palm seedlings. “Through this breeding program we want to prevent or at least minimize the distribution of low quality seedlings that are usually uncertified,” he said.
“We’ve conducted socializations on the breeding program and the need for quality seedlings among smallholders. We’ll ensure the distribution of the quality seedlings among the smallholders who will take part in the replanting program,” he said.
During the event, the plantation directorate general, in cooperation with BPDPKS and the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (GAPKI), launched the application of plantation seedlings bank (BABEBUN). The application is designed to make sure that superior seedlings stored in BABEBUN are certified and meet the need of smallholders.
“We’ll ensure that the oil palm seedlings that we use are really qualified and certified,” GAPKI Chairman Eddy Martono said.
Eddy Martono underlined the importance of quality seedlings for the success of oil palm cultivation. The productivity of oil palm during its productive period of 25 years is heavily dependent on the quality of seedlings.
“Oil palm trees have a typical commercial lifespan of 25 years. During that period their productivity is highly dependent on quality seedlings. We prioritize the certified ones that are produced by companies recognized by the government. GAPKI’s member companies that are in partnerships with smallholders will control the seedlings used for the replanting. We also involve in the seedling breeding program, and we’ll keep supervising on daily basis,” said Eddy Martono.
During the three-day Bunex 2023, the agriculture ministry underlined the very important role of palm oil for the national economy of Indonesia as the world’s largest producer and exporter of palm oil products. The palm oil industry is the largest contributor of foreign exchange for Indonesia, where it employs directly and indirectly 18 million people. (*)
Source: sawitkita.id
