InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – In fact, the smallholders are significant to the future palm oil plantation development.
Field Chairman of Indonesian Palm Oil Association (IPOA), Tofan Mahdi said, for having 41% of palm oil plantations in Indonesia, the roles smallholders should not be put aside.
He thought, though there are challenges to face, such as, regulations for not every smallholder could realize the regulation, it needs to improve their cultivation sustainably.
Tofan also said, the other challenge is about sustainable practices. The smallholders need to be encouraged to implement environmental cultivation. In Indonesia sustainable cultivation is categorized in ISPO implementation.
As the regulation, ISPO is right to develop smallholders’ environmental plantation. The policy is mandatory. “We are waiting what we are heading to. It needs to improve the smallholders’ institutions and make better sustainable governance. The future industries would be in the hands of smallholders,” Tofan said.
General Secretary of Serikat Petani Kelapa Sawit (SPKS), Mansuetus Darto thought, sustainable palm oil practice is something serious for many parties. The independent smallholders have ISPO and Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certificates.
The most important thing is that every stakeholder should be serious. For instance, when some groups got ISPO certificate, their production should be well accepted and purchased by mills. “But some mills did not differentiate FFB price within ISPO and non-ISPO certificate. The mills might not believe ISPO and even some smallholders that got ISPO certificate should sell their plantation production to middlemen,” he said. (T2)
