infoSAWIT News

InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA — The expansion of palm oil plantations not only opens strategic opportunities for Indonesia in the global market but also serves as an important moment for smallholder farmers to gain more inclusive access to funding. Simson Hendro, the President Director of PT Konsultan Untuk Rakyat (PT KUR), believes that President Prabowo Subianto's call for the expansion of palm oil plantations should be seized by farmers by strengthening the role of cooperatives.

InfoSAWIT, KUALA LUMPUR - Modern consumers are increasingly aware of the environmental and social impacts of their choices. This awareness is driving a rise in demand for sustainably produced palm oil, supporting industries committed to sustainability, transparency, and accountability.

InfoSAWIT, KUALA LUMPUR - The Malaysian government has allocated nearly RM 10 million to improve the perception of palm oil in Europe, according to Deputy Minister of Plantation and Commodities, Datuk Chan Foong Hin.

InfoSAWIT, TOKYO - Japan ranks among the top five countries in the global retail cosmetics and toiletries industry. With cosmetic exports reaching USD 4.8 billion in 2023, this market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 2.77% between 2023 and 2028.

InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA — President Prabowo Subianto's call to expand palm oil plantations has been positively received by the President Director of PT Konsultan Untuk Rakyat (PT KUR), Simson Hendro. He believes the President's initiative should be appreciated as it will strengthen Indonesia's position as the world's largest palm oil producer.

InfoSAWIT, KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) made a significant appearance at the 3rd International Food Research Conference (IFRC) at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). With a focus on promoting sustainability, MPOC highlighted automation and mechanization in palm oil plantations as strategic steps for the industry.

InfoSAWIT, SINGAPORE – Bumitama Agri Ltd., an Indonesia-based palm oil plantation company, has reported its performance results for the nine months ending September 2024. Bumitama's main products, crude palm oil (CPO) and palm kernel (PK), have gained positive momentum as palm oil prices surpassed the psychological threshold of MYR4,500 per ton at the end of October. This marks the first time since mid-2022 that palm oil prices have reached such heights, driven by tightened vegetable oil supply due to conflicts in the Black Sea region and policy changes from major producing countries.

InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA - The domestic economic policies of the United States, initiated by President Donald Trump through increased tariffs on trading partner countries, have become a focal point in the dynamics of global trade. This strategy aims to boost the domestic economy by reducing imports, encouraging local innovation, and providing funding support for US industries. However, these policies also have significant ripple effects that cannot be overlooked, particularly for the Indonesian palm oil industry.

InfoSAWIT, SINGAPORE – Wilmar International Limited (“Wilmar”) reported a lower core net profit of US$208.1 million in the third quarter of 2024 (3Q2024), a significant decrease from US$323.6 million in the same period last year (3Q2023). Although the tropical oils, oleochemicals, shipping, and raw material crushing segments showed better-than-expected results, the overall performance of the Group was affected by weaker contributions from operations in China and the sugar sector, which had previously recorded strong performance in 3Q2023.

InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA - The Chairman of the National Palm Oil Farmers Union (SPKS), Sabarudin, revealed that the implementation of jurisdiction certification could be a solution to reduce the certification costs that currently burden palm oil farmers. This initiative is expected to alleviate the financial burden on farmers in obtaining the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certification.

InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – The Chairman of the Rumah Sawit Indonesia (RSI), Kacuk Sumarto, has reaffirmed his organization’s readiness to become a strategic partner for the government in supporting food sovereignty, energy, and national economy through the palm oil sector. This statement was made during a discussion forum that addressed various efforts and plans for RSI moving forward.

InfoSAWIT, KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia's palm oil stocks are projected to increase for the first time in six months in March, driven by a recovery in production. However, global demand remains sluggish amid economic concerns exacerbated by tariff announcements from U.S. President Donald Trump.

InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – The Marketing Director of PTPN III (Persero) Holding Plantation, Dwi Sutoro, emphasized the importance of intensification as the primary solution to increase palm oil plantation productivity in Indonesia. With a national average productivity of only 3 tons of CPO per hectare, he believes there is significant potential for production increases without the need for land extensification.

InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – The Secretary-General of the Indonesian Palm Oil Farmers Association (Apkasindo), Rino Afrino, emphasized the importance of establishing a new agency to optimize governance in the palm oil industry. In a technical discussion with government officials over the past two weeks, he asserted that this agency could be a solution to various challenges faced by the palm oil sector, particularly regarding productivity and state revenue.

InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – Forestry and Plantation Law expert and lecturer at Al Azhar University, Jakarta, Sadino, has highlighted the urgency of synchronizing regulations across ministries to support better governance in the palm oil industry. He believes that overlapping authorities among ministries often serve as a major obstacle to the development of the palm oil sector.

InfoSAWIT, NEW DELHI - India's palm oil imports in March saw an increase compared to the previous month, but they still remained below normal levels for four consecutive months. This trend is attributed to higher palm oil prices compared to soybean oil, leading producers to increase their purchases of soybean oil, according to five traders cited in a recent report.

InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA - In a vast landscape rich in biodiversity, Indonesia ranks third in the world for rainforest area and second in biodiversity. Over 65% of Indonesia's land area, approximately 125 million hectares, is designated as National Forest Areas, which include production forests, protected forests, and conservation forests managed by the Ministry of Forestry.

InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA - The push for environmentally friendly raw materials is also targeting batik products, a heritage of ancestors, particularly in the use of wax, which has traditionally been made from crude oil but is now being replaced with palm oil.

InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA - Sabarudin, the Chairman of the Indonesian Palm Oil Smallholders Association (SPKS), announced that the organization aims to support approximately 300 independent palm oil farmers in Musi Banyuasin, South Sumatra, to produce sustainable palm oil. This collaboration marks a significant breakthrough, particularly as Nissin Foods, one of Asia's largest palm oil buyers, begins to partner directly with independent farmers.

InfoSAWIT, BANGKOK – Global stock markets largely experienced gains on Tuesday, April 2, despite uncertainty surrounding new tariff policies to be implemented by U.S. President Donald Trump in what is being referred to as "Liberation Day."