InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – Palm oil plantation development must have something to do with research, for instance, it needs to get breeding research if (one company) wants to get (plant) superior seeds. This is same with developing downstream industries nationally.

In the past decade, palm oil derivative product exports significantly increased, up to 80% in 2020 from only 20% in 2010. (Palm oil) industries in this country successfully produced 168 downstream products for many kinds of needs, such as, food, phyto-pharmaca/nutrients, chemical/oleochemical materials, and also fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) biodiesel. In 2011, only 54 downstream products were produced in national scale.

It is clear that research is the main capital to confirm palm oil industrial roots because these industries significantly contribute to revenue that reach up to US$ 50 billion in 2022.

Though many research institutions and universities did palm oil research, the presence of Palm Oil Plantation Fund Management Agency (FMA) also encourages (the research activity).

Grant Riset Sawit (GRS) that PFMA runs, made palm oil develop more, trigger researchers to research and support palm oil industries (t0 g0 forward) nationally. Some suggested to establish non-profit independent organization that would focus to finalize the research results, get industries with technology readiness level (TRL) about level 7.

What others to do in order to support research in developing palm oil industries nationally? Dear readers could read in Focus Majalah InfoSAWIT, November 2023. (T2)