InfoSAWIT, BANDA ACEH — Eighty-six palm oil farmers from Aceh Tamiang and Aceh Timur took part in a Technical Training on Palm Oil Cultivation held 4–8 August 2025 at the Grand Nanggroe Hotel, Banda Aceh. The program is part of the 2025 Human Resources Development Program for the Palm Oil Plantation Sector, a collaboration between the Palm Oil Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDP), the Directorate General of Plantations (Ditjenbun), and IPB Training.
The training was opened on Monday (4/8) by Mukhlis, SP, MA, Head of Agricultural Extension and Human Resources Development at the Aceh Provincial Agriculture and Plantation Office, and attended by representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture’s Agricultural Extension and Human Resource Development Agency (BPPSDMP) and Ditjenbun.
IPB Training expert Dr. Haryadi, M.S., stressed the importance of evaluating existing farming practices. “The three keys to successful palm oil farming are the right location, certified superior seedlings, and good management — including proper fertilization and pest control. If managed well, farmers can achieve the 7-TAS: Legality, Quantity, Quality, Continuity, Sustainability, Traceability, and Profitability,” he explained.
BPPSDMP’s Apuk Ismane said the program supports the government’s mission to achieve food self-sufficiency by improving agricultural human resources. Ditjenbun’s Mula Putra noted that smallholder productivity remains low at around 3.3 tons per hectare per year, compared to its potential of 5–6 tons. The government is focusing on four strategies to address this: scholarships, upskilling, extension services, and mentoring.
Beyond classroom sessions, participants joined a field visit on Thursday (7/8) to PT Agro Sinergi Nusantara, where they observed harvesting techniques, seedling management, and fresh fruit bunch sorting at a palm oil mill’s loading ramp. Many farmers said it was their first time seeing industrial-scale operations up close.
The program aims to expand farmers’ knowledge of sustainable practices while preparing them to become drivers of productivity in Indonesia’s smallholder palm oil sector. (T2)
