JAKARTA – The government will expand the authority of the Oil Palm Plantation Fund Management Board (BPDPKS) beyond just palm oil, by changing its name to Plantation Fund Management Board (BPDP). The new institution will not only manage the fund collected from palm oil industry, but also from other plantation commodities cocoa, coconut, and rubber.

“We want to convert the BPDPKS to BPDP. It will not just cover palm oil, but also cocoa, coconut and rubber. All are plantation commodities but they lagged behind the palm oil,” Economic Coordinating Minister Airlangga Hartarto said in Jakarta on Thursday (25/7/2024).

According to Airlangga, the BPDP will be assigned to revitalize the other commodities, especially the cocoa, coconut and rubber.

He said that management of plantation funds is needed to optimize the plantations in all regions of Indonesia, with the aim to provide raw materials for other industries.

Airlangga cited the example of cacao plantations in Sumatera and Kalimantan, which are more potential for further development.

“We want to push up the development of cacao plantations. Previously, we have a total cacao plantation areas at 800,000 hectares, but now only less than 200,000 Ha. That’s why when we developed its downstream industries, we saw a shortage of cacao supply as raw material,” he said.

Previously, on Wednesday (25/7/2024) Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan met with Minister Airlangga at the office building of the economic coordinating ministry in Jakarta to discuss the plan to covert the BPDPKS to BPDP. (*)

Source: sawitkita.id