InfoSAWIT, SAMARINDA – Plantation Agency East Kalimantan Province does acceleration in Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certification in the many regions by regularly did meeting about ISPO acceleration for big plantation companies, unions, and smallholders’ groups in the province.

Head of Plantation Agency East Kalimantan Province, Ahmad Muzakkir said, President’s Regulation Number 44 / 2020 about Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) Plantation is the obligation for big private companies, government’s companies.

He thought, independent smallholders are obliged to get ISPO certificates so that they would not put away from the supply chain.

“There are 303 big plantation companies in East Kalimantan. Only 80 got ISPO certificates or 26,40 percent of the total. Only 6 (six) (independent) smallholders/unions got the same,” he said in the ISPO acceleration for big palm oil plantation companies, unions, and groups in Hotel Haris, East Kalimantan, Tuesday (18/7).

Data from the agency showed that palm oil plantations in the province laid about 1.411.861 hectares. 89.59 percent of the total plantations consisted of big palm oil plantation companies, government’s plantations, and smallholders’ ones in 2022.

Palm oil exports in the same period reached US$ 1,8 billion or about 28,4 trillion rupiah with the whole fresh fruit bunch production reached 17 tons.

As InfoSAWIT quoted from the official page of Information and Communication Agency East Kalimantan Province, the government is serious to develop palm oil in this country because it is the strategic commodity and playing its role as the biggest revenue. By the meeting, every participant should design programs/activities and collaborate to accelerate ISPO certification, namely for the smallholders. (T2)