InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – Agricultural sectors become the mainstay of economy nationally when everything is uncertain. Indonesia could be one country that delivers light for the world. In general, the economy shows durability by the increasing domestic demands and stable inflation, and also the good and positive exports.
Central Bureau of Statistic (CBS) showed the temporary data that agricultural exports in January - December 2022 reached 640,56 trillion rupiah or escalated 3,93 percent compared to the same period in 2021. Sub sector plantation kept being the biggest exports in agriculture that contributed about 622,37 trillion (97,16%).
Plantation commodity exports that increased the most in 2022 was palm oil for about 468,64 trillion rupiah (75,30%). It showed that planation exports in this case, palm oil is one source of revenue to keep increasing.
Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasil Limpo (SYL) said, palm oil contribution is helped by the vast plantations nationally that laid about 16,38 million hectares. About 6,9 million hectares belonged to smallholders. But theirs faces the big challenge, which is, productivity.
The low productivity, not maximal agro-input are the big challenges for the planters in Indonesia. besides, palm oil productivity reaches 3 – 4 tons per hectare of crude palm oil (CPO) in national scale. This would be a threat for the smallholders’ plantations if there is no comprehensive action.
“The government does improve the upstream sectors in smallholders’ plantations by replanting the old trees or unproductive ones by having smallholders replanting program (SRP). Of theirs, at least, 2,8 million hectares are not potential anymore and need SRP,” he said, as in the official statement to InfoSAWIT, Monday (27/2/2023).
Production and productivity enhancement by advantaging fund from Palm Oil Plantation Fund Management Agency (PFMA-KS) through SRP has been running since 2017 within the targets, smallholders’ plantations which are old (more than 25years), low productivity, and time to get SRP. Every year, the target of SRP should be 180.000 hectares in 21 provinces of palm oil centers.
The government keeps coordinating with agencies that deal with plantations in province, district levels, smallholders associations, and plantation companies to get coordination and synchronization to run SRP. (T2)
