Farmers Fostered By PTPN IV PalmCo In Riau Achieve RSPO Certification, Ready To Compete In The Global Market

RSPO Auditor Naik Monang P. Lingga (left) handed over RSPO certification to the Chairman of KUD Makarti Jaya Hadi Yanto. KUD Makarti Jaya is a farmer cooperative fostered by PTPN IV PalmCo who won the initial RSPO certification

JAKARTA Hundreds of oil palm farmers who are members of the Makarti Jaya Village Unit Cooperative (KUD), Rokan Hulu Regency, Riau, officially pocketed the Foundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification, an international recognition of the sustainable practice of oil palm plantations.

This certification is the first achievement for the fostered partner of PTPN IV PalmCo, a subholding of palm oil under the Holding Perkebunan Nusantara PTPN III (Persero).

This success is considered an important milestone in strengthening partnerships between state companies and self-help farmers. Through this certification, the palm oil of Makarti Jaya KUD farmers is not only recognized globally, but also has the opportunity to penetrate the export market with a more competitive selling price.

"This is not the end point, but the first step that Indonesian farmers are able to meet world sustainability standards," said President Director of PTPN IV PalmCo, Jatmiko Santosa, in a written statement, Wednesday, October 1.

Jatmiko said this achievement could not be separated from the commitment and cooperation between farmers and the PTPN IV Regional III team who had accompanied the certification process since the end of 2024.

According to him, the challenges in meeting RSPO standards ranging from institutional arrangements to environmentally friendly cultivation practices can be overcome thanks to solid persistence and synergy.

The RSPO certification was issued after the Makarti Jaya KUD, which consists of more than 300 farmers with a land area of around 731 hectares, was declared to have passed an external audit in May 2025. The certificate was handed over earlier this week at the Makarti Jaya KUD Office, Tapung, Rokan Hulu, by the Head of the PSR and Plasma Division of PTPN IV PalmCo, Abdul Muthalib.

In the future, PTPN IV PalmCo targets more partner farmers to be able to access international standard certification. In addition to opening up global market opportunities, this step is also expected to support national energy and food security through the provision of sustainable vegetable oil raw materials.

With this achievement, Jatmiko assessed, the position of Indonesian palm oil farmers in the global market is starting to show progress. In the midst of global pressure on the palm oil industry, according to him, the success of farmers in Rokan Hulu shows that sustainability and productivity can go hand in hand, as long as there is consistent support and assistance.

"We want to grow up with farmers. This certification is not the end, but the beginning of strengthening intensification, institutions, and increasing farmer capacity," said Jatmiko.

On the same occasion, Region Head of PTPN IV Regional III, Ahmad Gusmar Harahap, said this process started in October 2024 and involved intensive technical assistance. The stages are long and quite confiscated a lot of effort, but the results are commensurate. This is proof that our farmers can advance to class with the right assistance," he said.

RSPO certification itself is a global standard that regulates oil palm plantation governance responsibly, covering aspects of the environment, social and economy. RSPO certified products are in great demand by the European market and countries that have strict regulations on palm-based products.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Makarti Jaya KUD, Hadi Yanto, revealed that from the start his party saw RSPO as an opportunity to improve the welfare of cooperative members. "This certification is not only a matter of recognition, but also access to a wider market and a better selling price," he said.

According to Hadi, assistance from PTPN IV has been going on since 2013 and continues to grow to this day. "In the past, oil palm was only thought of as the result of ordinary gardens. Now we are starting to understand that with international standards, palm oil can be a way to a better future," he added.

The achievement of the Makarti Jaya KUD is referred to as an initial model or blueprint that will be extended to other cooperatives in the work area of PTPN IV. Currently, a number of other KUD partners in Regional III are also preparing to follow the same certification process.

This strategic step is in line with the direction of the transformation of the national palm oil industry which is not only oriented towards increasing production, but also sustainability.

PalmCo, which plays an important role in the national palm oil industry map, also expressed its commitment to making partnerships with farmers part of a sustainable supply chain.

For information, RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) is a global nonprofit organization that sets standards for sustainable palm oil production. RSPO certification shows that palm products have met the sustainability criteria from upstream to downstream.