InfoSAWIT, SERUYAN – The Seruyan chapter of the Oil Palm Smallholders Union (SPKS) is stepping up efforts to strengthen its organization while accelerating Smallholder Replanting (Peremajaan Sawit Rakyat/PSR) assistance for members.

The commitment was reiterated during the SPKS Seruyan Regional Assembly (Musda), which served as a key consolidation forum for smallholders and a platform to reaffirm the group’s strategic direction.

Beyond PSR, SPKS Seruyan is also targeting stronger plantation governance among members by encouraging wider adoption of Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certification. The organization also voiced its support for jurisdictional certification development in Seruyan Regency as part of broader improvements in local palm oil governance.

SPKS Seruyan Chair Arif Mansur said the union’s current priority is assisting members in accessing the PSR program. He noted that many smallholder oil palm plantations in Seruyan are aging and have become less productive, with average tree age exceeding 20 years.

“SPKS encourages smallholders to utilize the government’s PSR funding of IDR 60 million per hectare. This is a major opportunity, especially since many member plantations are old and productivity is declining,” Arif told InfoSAWIT on Thursday (Jan 22, 2026).

According to him, PSR is not merely about replacing old trees, but a long-term strategy to improve smallholder incomes sustainably. With higher productivity, smallholders are expected to have stronger economic resilience amid price fluctuations.

Arif also highlighted the broader economic impact of the program. Replanting activities can stimulate local economic circulation by increasing demand for farm inputs such as seedlings, fertilizers, and supporting services, while also creating job opportunities in rural areas.

“Replanting has a multiplier effect. Fertilizer trade, farm equipment needs, and rural labor all benefit. It clearly helps create jobs and boosts local economic activity,” he said.

Promoting Sustainable Practices, Not Land Expansion

In addition to PSR acceleration, SPKS Seruyan continues to promote sustainable plantation management among members through capacity-building programs. These include training on regenerative agriculture and the use of organic fertilizers.

SPKS stressed that improving smallholder welfare should be achieved through productivity gains and best management practices—not by expanding land areas.

“Productivity must increase the right way. We want smallholders to prosper from the land they already have, not by expanding,” Arif said.

National SPKS Strengthens Fair Partnerships

SPKS Chairman Sabarudin, who attended the Seruyan Musda, said the union is also strengthening cooperation with local governments and plantation companies to build fairer and more sustainable partnerships nationwide.

In Seruyan, he said accelerating PSR is crucial to improving the productivity of smallholder plantations, which remains relatively low.

“PSR carries significant economic value for village and regional development, and directly contributes to improving smallholder welfare,” he said.

Sabarudin also expressed SPKS support for Seruyan Regency’s commitment to developing jurisdictional certification for palm oil, which he said can strengthen governance and improve smallholder welfare more systematically at the regency level.

Land Legality Remains a Key Challenge

Beyond PSR and certification, SPKS is also urging faster resolution of smallholders’ land legality issues, particularly for plantations located within forest areas. Sabarudin said many smallholders continue to face land status barriers that limit access to government programs, including PSR, as well as banking services and financing.

“Until now, many smallholders still struggle with land legality. This restricts access to PSR and banking support,” he said.

Through the Musda, SPKS Seruyan reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening organizational consolidation, expanding PSR assistance, and improving plantation governance through certification—aiming to build more empowered, productive, and resilient smallholders in Seruyan. (T2)