InfoSAWIT, PASER – The government reaffirms its commitment to enhancing the capacity of palm oil farmers through the official opening of Technical Training on Harvesting and Post-Harvest in Paser Regency, East Kalimantan. The event, which took place from July 28 to August 1, 2025, involved 94 participants from three batches and is part of the Palm Oil Plantation Human Resource Development Program (SDMPKS).
This training is organized in collaboration with the Palm Oil Fund Management Agency (BPDP), the Directorate General of Plantations of the Ministry of Agriculture, and PT Citra Widya Education (CWE) as the implementing partner.
In his speech, the President Director of PT CWE, Nugroho Kristono, stated that this training is not just a transfer of technical knowledge but also a strategic effort to build motivation and independence among farmers. “Palm oil farmers are the main spearhead of national fresh fruit bunch productivity. This training is concrete evidence of the government's commitment to supporting palm oil growers towards food and energy self-sufficiency,” he said in an official statement received by InfoSAWIT on Saturday (August 2, 2025).
Over five days, participants will receive classroom materials, interactive discussions, and hands-on practice through visits to the palm oil plantation owned by PT AJP. With this approach, it is hoped that participants can directly understand best practices in palm oil harvesting and post-harvest.
The Head of the Agriculture and Livestock Office of Paser Regency, Djoko Bawono, appreciated the implementation of this training, which is considered very important, given that Paser Regency has more than 52,000 palm oil farmers with a total area of 253,000 hectares. However, the harvest results have not been optimal. “This is the background for the importance of this training. I also invite farmers to actively discuss and apply the knowledge gained in their respective plantations,” said Djoko.
Moreover, Paser Regency is also implementing several strategic programs from BPDP, including the People's Palm Oil Rejuvenation (PSR). To date, the area that has been rejuvenated has reached 7,879 hectares, with a target of an additional minimum of 3,000 hectares this year. “The good news is that the PSR funding allocation has also increased from IDR 30 million to IDR 60 million per hectare. This is a great opportunity for farmers to improve and rejuvenate their plantations,” he added.
Djoko also revealed that they are working to increase the number of training participants for the coming year, targeting 400 participants from Ditjenbun, and hoping to expand it to 600–700 people.
With the spirit of collaboration between the central government, local governments, and educational institutions, this training is expected to be a concrete step in encouraging increased productivity of plantations, farmer welfare, and supporting national food and energy security. (T2)
