InfoSAWIT, YOGYAKARTA — Behind every bottle of cooking oil that serves as a daily necessity for millions of households lies a lengthy process involving technology, skills, and meticulous attention to detail. This process begins with the processing of Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB) of oil palm into Crude Palm Oil (CPO), which not only supports domestic needs but also positions Indonesia as the world's largest palm oil producer.

The Institute of Agriculture Stiper (INSTIPER) Yogyakarta, through its pilot plant facility, plays a significant role in bridging the gap between academia and the national palm oil industry. Through a comprehensive and hands-on Field Practice (PL) program, students from various study programs are directly involved in processing FFB into CPO, adhering to industry standards.

Acting Head of the Agricultural Product Technology Study Program at INSTIPER, Mohammad Prasanto Bimantio, explained that students first participate in oil palm cultivation practices at the KP2 SEAT Ungaran plantation. The harvested FFB is then brought to campus for processing in the pilot plant into CPO.

There are seven main stages in this processing, including Grading – grouping FFB based on ripeness. Only fully ripe fruit is processed to ensure optimal oil quality and yield. This is followed by Weighing – determining the volume of raw materials as a basis for production recording and efficiency.

Next is Sterilization – boiling FFB at temperatures of 140–145°C for 60–90 minutes to halt the activity of lipase enzymes that trigger free fatty acid (FFA) formation. This is followed by Threshing – separating the fruit from the bunch using a rotating hammer. The empty bunches are repurposed as compost fertilizer.

Then comes Digestion – crushing the palm fruit in a cylinder to release oil from the mesocarp (the fleshy part of the fruit). This is followed by Screw Pressing – mechanically pressing the palm pulp to extract crude oil. Finally, Clarification – separating oil from water and impurities using a clarifier tank to produce clear CPO ready for further industrial processing.

“Each of these stages is taught directly to students so they understand that oil quality is highly dependent on the quality of FFB and the precision of processing,” Prasanto explained in a statement to InfoSAWIT on Wednesday, June 18, 2025.

More than just technical training, INSTIPER also instills interdisciplinary understanding in its students. In addition to Agricultural Product Technology, this PL activity also involves students from Agricultural Engineering, Agribusiness, and Agrotechnology programs.

According to INSTIPER's Head of Public Relations and Agrotechnology lecturer, Betti Yuniasih, this approach is crucial for students to grasp the entire palm oil industry supply chain, from upstream to downstream processes.

“Agrotechnology students not only learn cultivation but are also involved in CPO processing to understand the importance of harvesting ripe FFB. Meanwhile, Agribusiness students learn about the business processes in the palm oil industry, and Agricultural Engineering students understand the importance of equipment specifications at each processing stage,” Betti stated.

INSTIPER also equips its students with the skills to process various palm oil derivative products. These include Refined Bleached Deodorized Palm Oil (RBDPO), biodiesel, soap, wax, margarine, and food products such as cookies.

This demonstrates that INSTIPER prepares its graduates not only to be players in the upstream sector but also to compete in the downstream sector, which adds more value.

Through hands-on approaches, technology utilization, and interdisciplinary learning, INSTIPER asserts its position as a pioneer in higher education supporting the national palm oil industry. The processing in the pilot plant serves not only as an educational tool but also as a miniature of an efficient and sustainable palm oil industry.

With a spirit of innovation and sustainability, INSTIPER is not only producing job-ready graduates but also future industry leaders who understand the importance of quality, efficiency, and sustainability from the field to the factory. (T2)