InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – Rumah Sawit Indonesia (RSI) is calling for a fundamental shift in the implementation of Indonesia’s Smallholder Palm Replanting (PSR) program, arguing that stronger farmer institutions, simplified governance, and deeper strategic partnerships are critical to transforming independent growers into competitive agribusiness players.
Representing RSI Chairman Kacuk Sumarto, Sabri Basyah, board member and co-founder of RSI, said the challenges facing smallholders are systemic and recurring—ranging from weak institutional capacity and land legality complications to lengthy bureaucracy and inefficient project execution.
“The problems are well known and continue to repeat themselves. Farmer institutions remain weak, making access to financing and PSR programs difficult. Land legality issues—including land titles, area status, and plantation registration—often take years to resolve,” Sabri said at a limited industry forum in Jakarta.
He added that technical obstacles such as land mapping, polygon preparation, multi-layered bureaucracy between central and regional authorities, and underdeveloped partnership models continue to slow replanting implementation nationwide.
According to RSI, the traditional approach is no longer sufficient.
Instead, Sabri proposed a corporatization model for PSR, where replanting projects are managed with greater precision, stronger planning frameworks, and professional project execution—from mapping and feasibility studies to financing and operational management.
Equally important is strengthening partnerships between core plantation companies, plasma growers, and independent Smallholders, creating clearer collaboration models that can speed up implementation while improving farmer productivity.
“We can no longer rely on business-as-usual approaches. We need bold, measurable, and impactful steps if we want PSR targets to be achieved under a modern system,” he stressed.
During the forum, stakeholders also signed a cooperation commitment covering project feasibility analysis, implementation management, farmer mentoring toward industrialization, and policy support studies aimed at accelerating PSR delivery.
RSI believes this approach is not merely about meeting annual replanting targets—it is about building a sustainable system that positions Indonesia’s Smallholders at the center of a stronger and more modern palm oil economy. (T2)
