PSR Acceleration is Driven to Maintain Productivity and Refinery of Palm Oil

Photo: Special

JAKARTA - The acceleration of the People's Palm Oil Revitalization Program (PSR) is one of the keys to increasing productivity while maintaining the sustainability of the national palm oil industry.

In this context, the acceleration of the PSR Program needs to be supported by targeted affirmative policies.

Head of the IPB University Palm Oil Study Center, Prof Budi Mulyanto, said that the acceleration of the PSR Program was very necessary considering that there were many people's oil palm plantations that had entered old age and experienced a decline in productivity, namely 25 years or more.

This condition can affect the availability of raw materials for the national palm oil industry.

Prof. Budi Mulyanto emphasized that the limited availability of raw materials would have a negative impact on the success of the palm oil downstream program.

He said that the development of the downstream industry must be in line with the strengthening of the upstream sector in the national palm oil industry.

"This rejuvenation of oil palm is very important. Currently, almost 50 percent of Indonesian oil palm is people's oil palm and most of the plants are old. If it is not rejuvenated, how can we talk about the downstream program? Because production determines downstream," he said in a written statement received by VOI, Saturday, August 15.

The IPB University Professor explained that one way to encourage the acceleration of the PSR Program is to use an affirmative approach.

He hopes that the affirmative policy can provide special treatment or ease for the people's farmers, especially regarding various administrative and legal land constraints.

"Accelerating the palm oil rejuvenation program for the people requires affirmative policies related to land legality issues. Affirmative policies must be based on the principles of certainty, usefulness, and justice," he explained.

Budi Mulyanto assessed that the performance of the Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDP) was quite good regarding the implementation of the PSR Program. This good performance is assessed from the usefulness of the PSR program for the people's farmers, environmental sustainability, to the sustainability of the national palm oil industry.

He added that the distribution of support funds by BPDP for the implementation of the rejuvenation program for people's oil palm plantations was also very good because it used the principle of prudence and responsible governance.

"In providing funding support for the PSR Program, BPDP has been very prudent. The principle of prudence applied by BPDP is very important," he said.

Head of International Relation of the Indonesian Palm Oil Farmers Association (DPP APKASINDO), Djono Albar Burhan, admitted that the PSR Program implemented by BPDP has provided positive benefits for farmers in increasing the productivity of people's oil palm plantations.

Djono Albar Burhan added, the PSR Program is an opportunity for farmers to regenerate crops while increasing production through the use of certified seeds or seedlings and the implementation of better plantation management.

"Of course, we palm oil farmers are very helped by the rejuvenation program. In the midst of declining productivity when the age of the palm tree is above 25 years and also productivity below 10 tons per hectare per year, rejuvenation is one solution to increase productivity," he explained.

Djono hopes that there will be ease for the people's farmers regarding the requirements of the PSR Program. He believes that this ease will encourage the acceleration of the implementation of the rejuvenation program in Indonesia.

According to him, there needs to be cross-sectoral collaboration including the government at the central and regional levels to make it easier for farmers to participate in the PSR program.

He also hopes that there will be certainty for the people's farmers, especially regarding land legality.

"There needs to be certainty for palm oil farmers because currently there are still issues related to land legality," he concluded.