InfoSAWIT, KOTAWARINGIN BARAT – District of Kotawaringin Barat (Kobar) showed its commitment to get sustainable palm oil plantation governance namely in palm oil sector. On Tuesday (28/11) in the hall of Agriculture Agency District of Kobar through Agriculture Agency, many participants came and gathered in the kick off meeting to formulate Rencana Aksi Daerah Kelapa Sawit Berkelanjutan (RAD KSB) or Regional Action Plan on Sustainable Palm Oil. It was attended by the representatives of USAID Sustainable Environmental Governance Across Regions (SEGAR), regional officials, and independent smallholders’ associations in the district.
One major point in the meeting was to establish working group and formulation team in RAD KSB District of Kobar. They would be in charge to every formulation process in the plan. This was supported by development partner, USAID SEGAR by discussing the formulation process to make sure that RAD KSB District of Kobar would be finished as the schedule.
As InfoSAWIT quoted from the official page of District of Kobar, Head of Agriculture Agency District of Kobar, Wahyu Setiawan told that the formulation of RAD KSB is the obligation for the government to get strategic plans in sustainable palm oil development. It would cover big private and independent smallholders’ plantations. He also emphasized that the meeting would be the good one to evaluate the same results in sustainable palm oil development.
“The meeting would be the good moment to evaluate every sustainable development result that was achieved in sustainable palm oil plantations, and agreed that there are the same needs to realize sustainable palm oil plantation governance,” Wahyu said.
Meanwhile according to President’s Instruction Number 6 / 2019 about Rencana Aksi Nasional Kelapa Sawit Berkelanjutan, RAD-KSB in district level should be developed or adjusted with the guidelines from Ministry of Agriculture and integrate with five program components that were mandated in the instruction.
Prior District of Kobar got RAD KSB formulation but it needed revision to be adjusted with the instruction. Besides, District of Kobar, USAID SEGAR, and smallholders’ group were preparing independent smallholders to qualify sustainability standards as regulated in Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) and Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).
One participant from KUD Karya Tunggal Jaya in Village of Pangkalan Dewa, Jaka Suherman hoped that the meeting would support every smallholder to get their fresh fruit bunch (FFB) production would be sold and would escalate their welfare.
RAD KSB is the way of District of Kobar to maintain, facilitate to escalate palm oil plantation quality. The formulation would involve many parties, for instance, regional government, the vertical institutions, such as, agrarian affairs, national land agency, planters, associations, and government’s partners to develop palm oil plantations. (T2)
