Jakarta –Palm oil businessmen deny to be accused as the environment destroyers for enlarging in the peatland. The facts show, palm oil could be one solution to the abandoned and broken peatland.

General Secretary Indonesian Palm Oil Businessmen Association (IPOBA), Joko Supriyono said, there are less numbers of areal functional transfer in Indonesia. “Palm oil plantations deriving from the peatland are 3% only. The rests are 26,7% of the peatland were disturbed, 43% of the abandoned area and 14% of the agriculture areas.

Furthermore, Joko said, though it was indicated, there were some businessmen burning the peatland, the facts could not be generalized. The palm oil businessmen would not burn the peatland for it would be very risky.

Joko thought, there flame happened for the Ministry of Forestry also neglected the area. Beside that, the government did not make solutions for the independent farmers to burn the area. “That is why the fire keeps happening every year,” he said.(T2)