South Kalimantan Integrates Palm Oil Rejuvenation with Upland Rice Planting

Oil palm plants are starting to be integrated with upland rice in the people's oil palm rejuvenation program in South Kalimantan.

KOMPAS/JUMARTO YULIANUS

Palm oil planting in the kick off event, the first planting of the People's Palm Oil Rejuvenation program under the partnership program assisted by the Association of Indonesian Palm Oil Entrepreneurs and intercropping of upland rice was carried out in Telagasari Village, Kelumpang Hilir District, Kotabaru, South Kalimantan, Wednesday (24/ 4/2024).

KOTABARU, KOMPAS — Oil palm plants are starting to be integrated with upland rice in the smallholder oil palm rejuvenation program in South Kalimantan. Apart from increasing palm oil production, this is also to increase food security.

The kick off event for the first planting of the People's Palm Oil Rejuvenation (PSR) partnership program under the guidance of the Indonesian Palm Oil Entrepreneurs Association (Gapki) and intercropping of upland rice was held in the village Telagasari, Kelumpang Hilir District, Kotabaru, Wednesday (24/4/2024). The integration of oil palm and upland rice is implemented in plantations owned by the Gajah Mada Village Unit Cooperative (KUD), a partner developed by PT Tapian Nadenggan.

Gapki General Chair Eddy Martono said that the partnership pathway PSR program is one of Gapki's main programs. This program is to help farmers rejuvenate old, damaged and unproductive palm oil plants as well as to increase productivity and palm oil production nationally.

"In the past five years, palm oil production nationally has been relatively stagnant, while domestic consumption continues to increase. Whether we like it or not, we must increase productivity from the existing plantation area because new land openings are no longer permitted," he said.

KOMPAS/JUMARTO YULIANUS

Chairman of the Indonesian Palm Oil Entrepreneurs Association (Gapki) Eddy Martono in Telagasari Village, Kelumpang Hilir District, Kotabaru, South Kalimantan, on Wednesday (24/4/2024).

Currently, according to Eddy, the plasma garden model for smallholder plantation (PIR) and independent farmers has entered a regeneration period. The government, supported by funding from the Palm Oil Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDPKS), has begun developing the PSR program since 2017. He welcomes the PSR program, especially the partnership pathway.

“The success of this PSR program will increase productivity, production, and community income. In addition, it will also ensure that the built capacity of the palm oil plantation can be optimally utilized,” he said.

Also read: Cow-Oil Palm Integration in South Kalimantan Targeted for Meat and Dairy Independence

Currently, there are more than 52,000 hectares of potential farmland for farmer partners who have passed the PSR program and partnered with companies, involving over 150 farmer organizations and thousands of farmers.

Of the 52,000 hectares, approximately 1,800 hectares were obtained through partnership channels, which were partners to five member companies of Gapki, including PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) III, PTPN VI, PT Buana Wiralestari Mas, PT Ivomas Tunggal, and PT Tapian Nadenggan, a group under Sinar Mas.

KOMPAS/JUMARTO YULIANUS

Expanse of oil palm plants in Telagasari Village, Kelumpang Hilir District, Kotabaru, South Kalimantan, Wednesday (24/4/2024).

Eddy said that the PSR program in Kotabaru is now integrated with upland rice. The rice is planted in between the paths of oil palm plants. The planting of upland rice can be done as long as the canopy of oil palm leaves has not fully closed.

"In addition to increasing the production and income of smallholder farmers, this PSR program will also play a role in providing food for local communities and supporting national food security," he said.

Director of Palm Oil and Various Palm Crops, Directorate General of Plantations, Ministry of Agriculture, Ardi Praptono, said that the PSR program is the government's effort to increase the productivity and quality of palm oil by replacing unproductive plants with quality seeds and implementing good agricultural practices.

Since 2017, the Directorate General of Plantations has issued technical recommendations covering an area of ​​337,647 hectares for 150,770 farmers. Specifically in South Kalimantan, technical recommendations covering an area of ​​5,989 hectares have been issued for 3,089 farmers.

"This achievement still needs to be encouraged so that consistency in fulfilling raw material production is maintained and sustainable," he said.

KOMPAS/JUMARTO YULIANUS

A stretch of newly rejuvenated oil palm plants in Telagasari Village, Kelumpang Hilir District, Kotabaru, South Kalimantan, Wednesday (24/4/2024).

Two lanes

The Director of Fundraising at BPDPKS, Sunari, stated that as of April 2024, BPDPKS has disbursed funds for PSR program expenditures amounting to IDR 9.3 trillion. The PSR program is distributed through two channels, namely the civil service channel and the partnership channel. "As time goes by, the distribution of PSR programs through partnership channels is increasingly realized. This is in order to accelerate the PSR program," he said.

Sunari mentioned that the PSR program for the partnership lane of the Gajah Mada farmers' group with PT Tapian Nadenggan covering an area of 720.6 hectares involving 347 farmers. Through this activity, it is hoped that it will provide additional income and welfare for the farmers.

"A new regulation that facilitates companies and farmers to obtain PSR funds will be implemented starting from May 1, 2024. The PSR fund will also be increased from IDR 30 million to IDR 60 million per hectare with a maximum of 4 hectares per person," he said.

Based on the 2023 plantation statistics, South Kalimantan has a total area of 443,802 hectares of oil palm plantations managed by 89 large private and state-owned plantation companies.

Also read: South Kalimantan Pursues Meat Self-Sufficiency through Palm Oil-Cow Integration

Head of KUD Gajah Mada, Sakino, stated that the PSR program is a pro-people program. Some members of KUD Gajah Mada have already enjoyed the program by receiving funding for PSR amounting to Rp 30 million per hectare.

Currently, the members of KUD Gajah Mada amount to more than 5,200 people scattered across 13 villages and 3 districts in Kotabaru. The oil palm plantation owned by the KUD covers an area of 7,200 ha. "We have experienced the benefits of oil palm. It has improved the lives of the community here," he said.

KOMPAS/JUMARTO YULIANUS

Planting of upland rice during the kick off event, the first planting of the People's Palm Oil Rejuvenation program under the partnership program assisted by the Association of Indonesian Palm Oil Entrepreneurs and intercropping of upland rice was carried out in Telagasari Village, Kelumpang Hilir District, Kotabaru, South Kalimantan, Wednesday (24 /4/2024).

Food buffer

Governor of South Kalimantan, Sahbirin Noor, in a speech delivered by the Expert Staff for Economy and Development of the South Kalimantan Provincial Government, Agus Dyan Nur, appreciates Gapki for initiating intercropping of upland rice in the PSR program through partnership channels. He also hopes that this program will run well so as to maintain and realize food security.

"South Kalimantan is one of the national food buffer areas and has declared itself as the gateway to the archipelago's capital city. Various efforts, innovations, and collaborations must be made to develop and realize food sovereignty and resilience," he said.

Based on the 2023 plantation statistical data, South Kalimantan has a total area of 443,802 hectares of oil palm plantations managed by 89 private and state-owned plantation companies. Approximately 24 percent of them, or around 107,582 hectares, are operated by smallholder plantations.

"The South Kalimantan Provincial Government is committed to supporting and encouraging the utilization and optimization of oil palm land, both for food crops such as upland rice and for other food crops suitable for the land around oil palm plantations," he said.

Previously, an integration program between palm oil and rice crops has been implemented in Tanah Laut, Kalsel, as well as the integration of palm oil with cattle farming. The great potential in Kalsel must be optimized to achieve the welfare of the community.

"I hope for the support and active role of the regents who have the potential in this matter so that efforts to realize sustainable palm oil plantations can be achieved," he said.