InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – Ministry of Agriculture through General Directorate of Plantation supported to realize strong partnership between smallholders and companies by having Fasilitasi Pembangunan Kebun Masyarakat (FPKM) policy as new partnership scheme after some programs that the government published, such as, Program Inti Rakyat (PIR) Bun, PIR NES, PIR KKPA, ended.
“For some programs ended in 2005, smallholders’ plantation development would be one solution to develop gap of welfare in the plantation and keep harmonious relation between companies and the people remain good,” Secretary of General Director of Plantation Ministry of Agriculture Heru Tri Widarto said.
Partnership support was told in virtual discussion of Forum Wartawan Pertanian (Forwatan) with the theme ”Memperkuat Kemitraan Sawit Melalui Fasilitas Pembangunan Kebun Masyarakat", that InfoSAWIT joined, Friday (26/5/2023). There were speakers such as, Dr. Rino Afrino (General Secretary of APKASINDO) and Muhammad Iqbal (Compartment of Socialization and Policy PSR Indonesian Palm Oil Association).
Heru told, FPKM by plantation companies has started since the publication of Regulation of Minister of Agriculture (RMA) Number 6 / 2007 about Plantation Business Permit Guidelines as it was substituted by RMA Number 98 / 2013 and confirmed by Regulation UU Number 39 / 2004 about Plantations as it was substituted by Regulation Number 6 / 2023 about Regulation in Liew of Law Number 2 / 2022 about Regulation Cipta Kerja.
According to RMA Number 18 / 2021 about Smallholders Plantation Development, a company has option to get partnership, such as, by credit, profit sharing, and other forms that parties agreed, and other forms of partnership.
Compartment of Socialization and Policy PSR Indonesian Palm Oil Association (IPOA), Muhammad Iqbal told that his institution would support the government’s regulation about partnership – in this case, FPKM. By having partnership, the smallholders could escalate their income, plantation quality, guarantee to fresh fruit bunch (FFB) purchase from partnership company.
The plantations would more professionally be cultivated, there would be new chances, enliven the same solidarity in palm oil plantations.
Other partnership should be sustainably productive and the reverse. The optimum basic to other partnership can be grant from the company as income substitution, such as, from plasma income. This is about to get responsibility from the partnership itself.
“Besides partnership should be the same responsibility between planters and companies. Other partnership should be managed based on professionality, openness, and equity,” he said.
General Secretary of APKASINDO, Rino Afrino said that many partnerships have not been running well. It is hoped, as a matter of fact, to answer challenge about sustainable palm oil that fulfil economic, social, and environmental aspects.
“I believe partnership between palm oil plantation companies and smallholders could be the resolution to high productivity and welfare, but there should be strong commitment from many sides, good morality, supervision, and development from related instances,” he said. (T2)
