First Phase of Oil Palm Replanting Program in Musi Banyuasin Completed

THE first phase of Smallholders’ Oil Palm Replanting Program (PSR) for 2017 planting season in Musi Banyuasin Regency, South Sumatra has been completed, marked by initiating tree-planting process, Monday (6/8/2018). The replanting program in Musi Banyuasin Regency for 2017 planting season was inaugurated by President Joko Widodo on 13 October 2017. It covered 4.446 hectares of plantations operated by Village Cooperative System (KUD) Sumber Jaya Lestari, KUD Tri Bakti Sentosa, KUD Suka Makmur, and KUD Mukti Jaya. President Director of the Indonesian Oil Palm Estate Fund (BPDPKS) Dono Boestami stated that the success of the program in Musi Banyuasin is a great source of pride to the country, especially to farmers who worked hard for this. “Today, we are conducting tree-planting to mark that our first phase job of replanting series (P-0) that covers 4.446 hectares of plantations has been completed. This is the success of administrators of the cooperatives and its all members,” Dono said in his speech during tree-planting opening ceremony in Sidorejo Village, Keluang Sub-district, Musi Banyuasin Regency, South Sumatra, Monday (6/8/2018). Initially, the area to be replanted was 2.846 hectares of plantations but there was extension of approximately 1.600 hectares of areas which was claimed to be located in forest. They were then converted to the area of land use and makes them possible to be replanted so that the total replanting area increased to 4.446 hectares of plantations. “We, BPDPKS, will keep monitoring the progress until it is officially completed. In this case, our job is not finished here, we will keep monitoring for about seven or eight years to come,” Dono said. Attendees at the opening ceremony included officials from Musi Banyuasin Regency Government, Coordinating Ministry of Economic Affairs, and banking partners of Bank Sumsel Babel and BNI. “Alhamdulillah, replanting by four cooperatives has been completed. Congratulation for this great success and we hope this program will be better in the future since things are easier now both in financing and infrastructure side,” Iskandar Syahrianto, Head of Plantation Office of Musi Banyuasin Regency Government, said. ***