InfoSAWIT, MEDAN – On 7 - 9 December 2023, Indonesian Planters Society (IPS) got the visit from 30 Malaysia’s planters in The Incorporated Society of Planters (ISP) Malaysia. In the visit the planters from the two organizations did field visit to the plantation of PT Socfindo and PT Perkebunan Nusantara IV.

General Manager PT Socfindo, Andy Suwignyo said that in nowadays era, open innovation to digital technology and mechanism in palm oil industries is a need to escalate plantation production and productivity.

Mohd Sahir Yaacob representing Malaysia’s planters and is also the Chief Operating Officer Felda Plantation Management Sdn Bhd,. told his appreciation for IPS and PT Socfindo for the warm welcome. “The visit would be very useful to share knowledge and experiences,” Mohd Sahir said, as in the official statement to InfoSAWIT, Monday, 11 December 2023.

In the visit, they discussed about digital technology implementation in seeds production, harvest, transportation, and Elaeidobius kamerunicus progress in PT Socfindo. Andy Suwignyo said that PT Socfindo gets the latest technology implementation in pollination, harvest, and pest production of Elaeidobius kamerunicus. "Every plantation report in PT Socfindo has connected with dashboard mobile (handphone)," Andy Suwignyo said.

Then IPS and ISP visited PT Perkebunan Nusantara IV. Manager Kebun Adolina PTPN 4, Yudhi H. Prawbowo mentioned that digital technology implementation, particularly drone is used to calculate numbers of tree, way condition, and to detect stealing.

The drone can detect stealing in kebun Adolina. It is operating at night with thermal camera to detect the temperature of thefts. Besides, Mahmud Irdan Lubis told that nursery system in PTPN IV is in green-house to minimize the bad from the environment particularly diseases. “The watering in pre-nursery is more regular,” Mahmud Irdan Lubis said. (T2)