InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – Indonesian Oil Palm Smallholders Association (Apkasindo) Chairman Gulat Manurung has urged the government to consider the circumstances and limitations faced by oil palm smallholders before introducing new regulations affecting the national palm oil industry.
Gulat said smallholders are a crucial part of the palm oil supply chain and must be involved in policy discussions that directly affect their livelihoods.
His remarks came during the third National Meeting of Indonesian Oil Palm Smallholders (PENAS III) in Jakarta on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, as reported by InfoSAWIT.
Concerns have emerged following a circular issued by the Director of Plantation Product Downstreaming at the Directorate General of Plantations, Ministry of Agriculture. The circular reportedly requires palm oil mills to source at least 30% of their fresh fruit bunches (FFB) from plantations certified under the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) standard.
The proposed requirement has raised concerns among smallholders over their ability to meet certification requirements and maintain market access.
Gulat stressed that government policies should reflect conditions on the ground rather than focus exclusively on administrative requirements and regulatory enforcement.
“Given their limitations in resources, access, and financial capacity, smallholders need policies that provide certainty and support the sustainability of their plantation businesses,” he said.
He also highlighted the challenges facing oil palm plantations located within forest areas, arguing that these issues require careful consideration of the circumstances affecting different stakeholders.
Smallholders, he said, should not be left bearing the burden of regulations without being given sufficient opportunities to explain their conditions and concerns.
Smallholders Must Have a Voice in Policymaking
Gulat called for broader dialogue between the government and smallholder organizations before new regulations are finalized. Such engagement would help ensure that policies comply with legal requirements while taking into account the social and economic realities of plantation communities.
He also emphasized the importance of including smallholders in the government's broader development agenda, including efforts to strengthen national food self-sufficiency and economic resilience under President Prabowo Subianto.
During the event, Gulat expressed appreciation for Professor Agus Sardjono of the Faculty of Law at the University of Indonesia, who was recognized for his attention to smallholder issues through a literary work.
For Apkasindo, meaningful smallholder participation in policymaking remains essential to ensuring that the development of Indonesia’s palm oil industry does not come at the expense of the farmers who form one of its principal pillars. (T2)
