InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo (SYL) confirmed that smallholders replanting program (SRP) would be equal in Indonesia. The target, 180.000 hectares per year would be realized. He said that when inaugurating Rapat Koordinasi Kelapa Sawit Nasional with the theme “Menjaga Resiliensi Perkebunan Indonesia 2023 dan Akselerasi Peremajaan Sawit Rakyat”.
SYL said there should be no regulation that blocks SRP in the future. “We have to make sure, SRP for palm oil would run well. But I also ask that there would be no complicated regulation because the program is for the people. To encourage it, every year SRP target – 180.000 hectares in 21 provinces would be realized,” he said, as in the official statement to InfoSAWIT, Monday (27/2/2023).
He thought, SRP is the same notice and responsibility to escalate plantation productivity. Regional governments need to monitor every new planting.
“Every party needs to act the same to escalate our smallholders’ welfare. It is time to struggle for them to escalate their economy,” he said.
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 palm oil plantations face the big challenge, which is, not maximal agro-input.
On the other hand, 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, such as, it needs to improve upstream sector by substituting old trees or unproductive ones.
“Escalating palm oil production and productivity is always facilitated by advantaging fund from PFMA (Palm Oil Plantation Fund Management Agency) through SRP program since 2017 with the target old trees in many plantations,” he said.
But he also said, SRP is not very easy to do. There are issues that the smallholders face. It needs hard work, collaboration from every element to actively support the program.
“Since the beginning, the coordination meeting was proposed by the government and other stakeholders to encourage SRP to run better and faster,” he said. (T2)
