InfoSAWIT, PELALAWAN – Village of Beringin Indah, Regency of Pelalawan would be the center of collaboration to accelerate smallholders replanting program (SRP) and Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certification.
It was conducted in the office of Koperasi Unit Desa (KUD) Beringin Jaya on Tuesday (8/10/2024), involving University of Riau (UNRI), Riau Province Plantation Agency, and Pelalawan Livestock and Plantation Agency, and the local village officials. The collaboration was started by handing over 32 cultivation documents for the independent smallholders in KUD Beringin Jaya and Asosiasi Petani Sawit Bertuah Riau.
It would be part of establishing independent smallholders’ institution to be stronger through the official institution, such as, Asosiasi Petani Sawit Bertuah Riau. They that joined it should qualify the terms and conditions in SRP and ISPO.
As part of the preparation, UNRI delivered training about institutional management to help the smallholders cultivate the organization in more modern ways and professional. Meyzi Heriyanto led the training so the smallholders would be ready to get ISPO certification process that got standards more internationally.
The certification was symbolically handed over to the representatives of the smallholders and witnessed by Riau Province Head of Plantation Agency, Syahrial Abdi and the representative of Pelalawan Livestock and Plantation Agency, Arni Rosita. Ahmad Rifa’I that represented UNRI Empowerment Team, Meyzi Heriyanto handed over the certificate.
"The collaboration would be the start of long process heading to smallholders’ sustainable empowerment,” Ahmad Rifa’i said, as in the official statement to InfoSAWIT, Thursday (10/10/2024).
He also emphasized the collaboration would always be with the full supports from Riau Province Plantation Agency and Pelalawan Livestock and Plantation Agency. Chairman of KUD Beringin Jaya, Suyanto and the village representatives, Anton, did appreciate the cooperation and hoped that the achievement would motivate more independent smallholders to join cultivation document and ISPO programs.
Syahrial Abdi also emphasized that it would be significant to get collaboration with many parties to accelerate ISPO certification. “Riau has to be the sample for other provinces in sustainable palm oil partnership and we would support it,” he said.
It is hoped in 2025, every independent smallholder in the province would get ISPO certificate. Village of Beringin Indah should be the development village which is sustainable for UNRI and related partners. (T2)
