InfoSAWIT, SIAK - For Mohamad Jamaludin (81), it is his dream to have high productivity palm oil plantation. But in the late days his plantations start to withered. Replanting program is the only way to boost its productivity by hoping that his would get better income.

In the old days he who was born in Cianjur joined the transmigration program by planting paddy. But after knowing that palm oil was potential, since 1992 he has becoming the smallholder.

Jamaludin said that he was worried to join the replanting program for he thought that his daily income was from planting palm oil for he used to get relatively high income

“He once harvested 12 tons per hectare, trembled for getting much money and was never lack of rice,” he said in Siak.

But his plantations start to reduce the production. They produce 1,8 tons per hectare. In 2014 he decided to join the smallholders’ replanting program though it started since 2016. “Luckily the program exists and the companies want to develop the smallholders. I was not afraid to join it though having lack of income,” he said.

To cover the lack of income during the program run, the smallholders got trainings, such as, making fish pool. The woof and the fish were provided by the companies. “We sold the catfish and we planted paddy in the 1 hectare yard of our home,” he said. (T2)

This article once published in InfoSAWIT, July 2019