InfoSAWIT, SIMALUNGUN – Efforts to enhance productivity and sustainability in Indonesia’s palm oil plantations have been strengthened through the introduction of new pollinator insect species.

Reported by InfoSAWIT from an official statement by GAPKI, on Thursday (April 9, 2026), three pollinator species from Tanzania were released at the Marihat Research Unit of the Indonesian Oil Palm Research Center in Simalungun.

The species include Elaeidobius subvittatus, Elaeidobius kamerunicus, and Elaeidobius plagiatus.

This initiative recalls the successful introduction of pollinator insects in 1982, which significantly boosted palm oil productivity in Indonesia.

Director of Seed Development at the Ministry of Agriculture, Ebi Rulianti, emphasized that simple innovations can have a major impact.

“We learn from history that small innovations can create significant impact,” she stated.

The introduction process involved multiple stakeholders, including GAPKI, BPDP, the Indonesian Quarantine Agency, PT Riset Perkebunan Nusantara, and the Indonesian Oil Palm Farmers Association.

With the species declared safe for development, they are expected to strengthen plantation ecosystems and sustainably increase productivity. (T2)