PONTIANAK – Provincial Government of West Kalimantan encouraged the owner of IUP (Plantation Bussiness License) to participate in assisting of the independent oil palm smallholder around their bussiness area.
“In the midst of limited central and regional financial conditions due to Covid-19, we encourage IUP holders not only to focus on pursuing and obtaining certificatesof ISPO/RSPO for the core area, but also participating to assist the independent oil palm smallholders and the cooperative around their bussiness areas,” explained the Assistant of Economy and Development Sector, Junaidi, represented Governor of West Kalimantan at the Web Seminar on the Acceleration of the Implementation of Sustainable Palm Oil Certification, Tuesday (22/2/2022).
He said, Provincial government fully supported the joint effort of the acceleration of Sustainable Oil Palm Certification for corporations, plasma, and people’s oil palm plantation, according to the authority. In 2020, the oil palm plantation area increased slightly to 1,910,293 hectare from the previous year area 1,905,108 hectare.
“697,182 hectare or 37 percent is owned by the independent or plasma farmers,” Junaidi added.
Then he mentioned about 373 oil palm corporations got IUP concession in West Kalimantan. Of that amount, only 69 corporations run the sustainable oil palm development and got the ISPO/RSPO certification.
“But only in part of the core concession area, it has not touched the independent or self-supporting oil palm plantation area,” he said.
In line with the global commitment to the importance of sustainable development in poverty alleviation and world safety, the Government of Indonesia has issued Presidential Regulation Number 44 of 2020 and Regulation of the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia Number 38 of 2020. Both regulations provide clear policy directions regarding mandatory sustainable palm oil development.
“Those do not only apply to plantation business actors, but also to the independent oil palm planters or smallholder,” Junaidi ended. (Irf/NM/DS)