PALANGKA RAYA – The Indonesian Palm Oil Association (GAPKI) Chairman Eddy Martono has called on the palm oil industry players to intensify the role of research and development in solving the challenges facing the Indonesia’s leading industry.
Addressing a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) organized by the oil palm plantation fund management board (BPDPKS) in Jakarta recently, Eddy Martono said that the palm oil industry needs the support of research and development to solve all of the challenges facing the Indonesian palm oil industries.
“We need the support of research and development under the programs of BPDPKS to tackle the palm oil challenges and to improve the sustainability of the industry,” Eddy told the participants of the public discussion as stated in a press release issued by BPDPKS on Sunday (14/04/2024).
The public discussion was organized by BPDPKS in conjunction with the second revision of Indonesian Palm Oil Research Roadmap 2016–2030 in Tangerang, Banten province, in March 2024.
During the second session of the public discussion, Eddy revealed that the challenges facing Indonesian palm oil industries include the problems related to lands, certifications, productivity, institutions, partnerships, commerce and governance, supporting infrastructure and facilities, and down-streaming programs.
During the same occasion, BPDPKS Plan and Fund Management Director Kabul Wijayanto said that his institution is seeking to intensify the role of research and development to advance Indonesian palm oil industries toward reaching Indonesia’s Golden Era in 2045. “This is part of our efforts to increase the role of research and development under BPDPKS programs in improving the competitiveness of Indonesia’s palm oil industries at the global market and pushing its growth toward 2045,” Kabul Wijayanto told the discussion, which was also attended by the Indonesian oil palm smallholders association’s (APKASINDO) Secretary General Dr Rino Afrino.
“We hope through this FGD we can get more inputs that will help us in conducting the revision of our research roadmap,” said Kabul.
He also expressed the hope that BPDPKS will get more funds to finance all of research activities under its programs, which are necessary to deal with the current development of Indonesian palm oil industries and the needs of all palm oil stakeholders in Indonesia.
“We hope all of our researches can meet our national needs, help tackle current issues, and integrate all of the researches’ results for the interest of the Indonesian government,” he said.
At the same occasion, Apkasindo Secretary General Rino Afrino reminded the participants about the role of smallholders in advancing the Indonesian palm oil industries and in tackling the challenges, especially with regard to lands, productivity, legality and partnerships. (*)
Source: borneonews.co.id
