InfoSAWIT, Jakarta – Head of the Indonesian Quarantine Agency (Barantin), Sahat Manaor Panggabean, affirmed his agency's commitment to supporting sustainable palm oil development that plays an important role in national food and energy resilience. This was conveyed at the Karantina Day 2025 Talkshow event titled “From Quarantine for Sustainable Palm Oil: Supporting Indonesia's Food and Energy Resilience”, attended by InfoSAWIT, held on Friday (24/10/2025).
In his speech, Sahat explained that quarantine institutions in Indonesia have a long history, established since 1877, or have been 148 years old. At its inception, quarantine focused on overcoming the coffee leaf rust disease that was rampant in the archipelago's plantations at the time. Now, Barantin continues to transform to adapt to the times' needs, including supporting the palm oil sector which is the backbone of the national economy.
“Quarantine will always support efforts to develop sustainable palm oil. We need to strengthen collaboration between the government, research institutions, academics, and businesses so that national palm oil productivity can increase,” said Sahat in his speech attended by various palm oil industry stakeholders.
He added that the potential for increasing palm oil productivity in Indonesia is still very large. According to him, with strong research support and appropriate technology application, productivity can increase from 4 tons to up to 10 tons per hectare.
Sahat also highlighted the importance of research and innovation aspects, especially in developing superior varieties and utilizing natural pollinators to increase harvest yields. He encouraged all parties to actively conduct research and not just wait for policies from the central government.
“If we want to progress together, we must move together. The government cannot work alone. Research institutions, campuses, and industries must support each other,” he emphasized.
Furthermore, Sahat stated that Barantin is ready to collaborate with various research institutions, including opening opportunities for international cooperation to strengthen the agricultural sector, especially palm oil commodities.
The Karantina Day 2025 Talkshow event is part of the series of Indonesian Quarantine Day commemorations. Besides being a scientific discussion forum, the activity is also intended to strengthen cross-sector synergy in building a resilient and sustainable national agriculture and energy system.
“We hope this collaboration spirit becomes a real step towards Indonesia's food and energy independence,” concluded Sahat. (T2)
