InfoSAWIT, YOGYAKARTA – The Director of Oil Palm and Various Palm Plants at the Directorate General of Plantations of the Ministry of Agriculture, Baginda Siagian, warmly welcomed 840 new students at the Yogyakarta Institute of Agriculture (INSTIPER) for the 2025/2026 academic year. Of this number, 150 are recipients of the Palm Oil Human Resources (PKS) Scholarship, a collaboration between the Directorate General of Plantations and the Palm Oil Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDP).
During a public lecture to open the new academic year held virtually on September 2, Baginda emphasized the importance of increasing the productivity of smallholder palm oil. According to him, national palm oil productivity is currently only 3.3 tons per hectare, even though its potential can be increased to 5–6 tons per hectare.
"Congratulations to the new students of INSTIPER. You have been accepted into the best plantation-focused higher education institution in Indonesia. I hope the educators at INSTIPER can equip you with excellent knowledge and skills so you can become new champions in the future development of palm oil," he said in an official statement received by InfoSAWIT on Thursday (9/11/2025).
Baginda was also present in person at the Campus and Plantation Orientation (OKKABUN) event at SEAT Ungaran on September 8, 2025. He praised the field introduction program as a crucial first step for students to understand the commodity that will be the focus of their studies.
Baginda added that INSTIPER is a comprehensive higher education institution because it not only equips students with theory but also trains them in discipline, practical skills, and co-curricular activities. "We strongly support the learning at INSTIPER. Students not only get a diploma but also a competency certificate from BNSP, which will differentiate INSTIPER graduates from other universities," he asserted.
The OKKABUN series, held from September 6–9, introduced new students to a variety of plantation and forestry commodities at SEAT Ungaran, from palm oil, coffee, rubber, and cocoa to tea, as well as forestry plants like teak, jabon, and sengon.
Baginda added that the Palm Oil Human Resources Scholarship program will continue to be strengthened with BPDP for the industry's sustainability. "Palm oil is the largest foreign exchange earner in the plantation sector. Superior human resources must continue to be prepared, and you are the future industry players," he said.
He concluded his remarks with a motivational message. "The process of regeneration is underway. With the Palm Oil Human Resources Scholarship program, 15–20 years from now, the golden future of Indonesian palm oil will be in your hands. Be a generation with integrity and character so that our palm oil industry remains sustainable," he concluded. (T2)
