Kotabaru DPRD insists biodiesel plant to be functioning

The biodesel plant in Telaga Sari Village, Kelumpang Hilir Sub-district, Kotabaru. (Antaranews Kalsel/doc.)

The timing is right, now fresh fruit bunches (TBS) price relatively low, and farmers complaining, with the operational of the plant it will absorb farmers' palm oil production,

Kotabaru, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - The Kotabaru legislative Council (DPRD) insisted the district government to utilize the biodiesel plant in Telaga Sari Village, Kelumpang Hilir Sub-district, to be functioning.

The DPRD Speaker Syairi Mukhlis said it's time for the plant to be functioning, because since it was built in 2007 and completed in 2010 has not been functioned.

"The timing is right, now fresh fruit bunches (TBS) price relatively low, and farmers complaining, with the operational of the plant it will absorb farmers' palm oil production," he remarked here, Monday.

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According to him, the functioning of the plant --which project from the Ministry of Research and Technology 9Kemenristek) worth Rp6 billion-- will give very large positive impact.

In addition to accomodate farmers' palm oil with better price from the existing condition, he continued, the project will be a solution to absorption of workforce in Kotabaru.

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The multiplyer effect result from the operation of the biodisel plant by making CPO as its raw material, said the PDIP potician, will directly become an improvement to TBS price, especially for farmers.

Farmers then no need to depend on CPO plants owned by big companies who actually have their own plantation, thus they will not prioritise buying palm oil from farmers.

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Previously the District Secretary Said Akhmad said the the local government plans to partner with a cooperative to manage the biodiesel plant in Telagasari Village.

This step is a follow-up to the visit of Regent Sayed Jafar about a month ago. "The regent just found out that there is a central aid factory that has been handed over to the district, but until now it has never been operated," he said.