Farmers in Jambi Continue Replanting Oil Palm Trees

JAKARTA— Implementing health procedure, activities in palm oil industry in Indonesia’s Jambi province during COVID-19 outbreak remain operational, including replanting oil palm trees.

Chairman of the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (Gapki) for Jambi Region Tidar M Bagaskara said that oil palm trees replanting program (Peremajaan Sawit Rakyat/PSR) initiated by the government was possible to be carried out seeing that funding supports from the Indonesia Oil Palm Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDPKS) had been gradually disbursed. “The replanting program has been carried out as scheduled. Farmers have received grants from BPDPKS,” he said on video conference with reporters, Monday (4/5/2020).

He added that other activities in oil palm plantations and palm oil mills remain operational. Currently, there are 160 active palm oil mills in Jambi. “We are implementing health measures. We also coordinate with COVID-19 task force as well as with local government. We want to make sure that palm oil production in Jambi remains operational.”

Speaking about fresh fruit bunches (FFB) prices in farmers level, Tidar stated that FFB prices in Jambi are around Rp1,400-Rp1,600 per kg. “Last year, FFB price in Jambi fell to Rp900 per kg. Current price is table at around Rp1,400-Ro1,600 per kg. Farmers sell their FFB directly to mills seamlessly.” (Source: Inilah.com/Investor Daily)