CPO Export Ban Revoked, West Kalimantan GAPKI: Thank You President Jokowi

Elementary school students walk beside piles of oil palms in a plantation in the Cimulang area, Bogor Regency, West Java. (Photo: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Palm Oil Association (GAPKI) West Kalimantan (Kalbar) Branch welcomes the lifting of the ban on exports of palm oil or CPO by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

"On behalf of all members of the West Kalimantan GAPKI and partner farmers, of course we welcome and are grateful for President Jokowi's decision which has fulfilled the expectations of farmers and people who rely on the palm oil sector in general," said Head of West Kalimantan GAPKI Branch, Purwati Munawir, quoted from Antara, Friday, May 19. .

Purwati Munawir explained that the lifting of the ban on CPO exports would revive the local and local economy.

The reason is, West Kalimantan is a CPO producing area in Indonesia.

"The area of oil palm plantations in West Kalimantan reaches 1.9 million hectares and production of 4 million tons per year. Palm oil has become the main and superior commodity in West Kalimantan in supporting the community and regional economy. If market activities are disturbed, it will have a big impact," he explained.

He hopes that the bottleneck in production and sales of CPO in the future will return to normal soon and circulation of the CPO storage tanks will recover, and buyers in the export market will not switch to producers from other countries.

"The most important thing is that prices return to normal followed by the exchange rate of farmers improving. Prices in the field must be in accordance with government regulations or existing stipulations," he said.

Previously, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) through his official statement Thursday, May 19, said that the faucet for exporting CPO and cooking oil was reopened and effective starting next week.