KemenkopUKM Supports Red Food Oil Development Program In North Sumatra

Illustration. (Pexels)

JAKARTA - The North Sumatra Provincial Cooperatives and SMEs Office continues to collaborate and focus on strengthening the institutions of the Oil Palm Farmers Cooperative, whose potential is very large in North Sumatra, especially districts on the East Coast, Southern Tapanuli, as well as Central Tapanuli.

"In the near future, the cooperative will have a red food oil factory which is managed directly by cooperatives and raw materials from cooperative members who are also oil palm farmers," said Head of the Institutional Office of Cooperatives and SMEs of North Sumatra Province Unggul Sitanggang in his official statement, quoted on Saturday, April 15.

There are three cooperatives in North Sumatra that are trusted for a fully supported red food oil development program by the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs (KemenKopUKM), namely the Unggul Sejahtera Palm Oil Producer Cooperative in Langkat Regency, Pujakesuma Farmers Cooperative in Deli Serdang, and Bukit Kijang Oil Palm Farmers Producers Cooperative in Asahan Regency.

"This program is a piloting of the National Program of the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs of the Republic of Indonesia which is implemented in 5 real sector cooperatives in Indonesia," he said.

Unggul added that this red food oil product has met several research standards by the Indonesian Palm Oil Research Center Agency (BPPKS) in Medan City, which the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs then followed up by coordinating it with ministries and institutions at the central level, including SOEs, PTPN, and so on.

"The palm oil contains a balanced and phytonutrient fat acid composition, such as Provitamin A, Vitamin E, Squalene, Fitosterol, Ubiquinone and Lycopene, which are very beneficial for health," said Unggul.

He admitted that the conventional physis process for the cassation of palm oil often ignores and removes the nutritional content of the palm oil.

Therefore, PPKS innovates with reconfiguration and produces technology in the form of production of red food oil. "So, farmers can produce high-quality cooking oil with simple equipment without eliminating the nutritional content of palm oil," said Unggul.

Furthermore, Unggul hopes that all stakeholders, both at the village, sub-district, district, and provincial levels, including the central government, can work together to make this program a success according to their respective main tasks and functions.

Meanwhile, the management of the Bukit Kijang Wagimin Oil Palm Farmers Cooperative said that the cooperative he manages is the provincial development whose members are in cross-districts in North Sumatra and have more than 300 registered members.

"Those present at the RAT aim to strengthen the understanding of cooperative members related to the red food oil management program which can only be managed by cooperatives for the welfare of members," he added.