Pelaihari, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - The Plantation Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture is again implementing a palm oil replanting program for 3,500 hectares in South Kalimantan for 2021.
Acting Governor of South Kalimantan Safrizal ZA in Pelaihari on Monday said the People's Palm Oil Replanting (PSR) was begun this month marked by the symbolical planting of palm oil in Kait-Kait Village, Bati-Bati Sub-district, Tanah Laut.
He said that agriculture is one of the sectors that survive in the pandemic and this sector is the future of South Kalimantan.
"Currently, mining is the biggest contributor to our foreign exchange. However, mining is a natural resource that cannot be renewed, our future is agriculture," he pointed out.
According to him, smallholder plantations must be subsidized by the government budget, so they can go forward together with private plantations to jointly support the country's economy.
While PSR is a Ministry of Agriculture's program aims to increase productivity and quality of oil palm fruit, especially for smallholder plantations.
On this occasion, Safrizal reminded farmers to avoid burning for land clearing in the PSR process, to reduce hotspots, because June will be entering the dry season.
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Director-General of Plantation, represented by Agus Hartono the head of the PSR team, said that the source of PSR program funds comes from the export levies managed by the Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDB).
"The source funds of this program comes from export levies that are sub-managed by the BPDB in cooperation with the Directorate General of Plantation," he said.
According to him, there are three targets of oil palm replanting, namely oil palm over 25 years, oil palm with production less than 10 hectares per year, and uncertified seeds.
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Head of South Kalimantan Plantation and Livestock Agency Suparmi said that the target of PSR in the province from 2018 to 2020 was 10,517 hectare, while in 2021 is 3,500 hectares divided in 5 districts.
The five districts that receive the program are Banjar and Tanah Bumbu with one thousand hectares each, then Kotabaru, Tanah Laut, and Barito Kuala with 500 hectares each.
"The aim of this PSR is to help smallholders oil palm farmers. To renew oil palm plantation with quality and sustainable palm oil, as well as production and productivity of palm oil," he said.
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South Kalimantan gets 3,500 hectares smallholders palm oil replanting
Selasa, 13 April 2021 6:28 WIB
Acting Governor Safrizal ZA and Tanah Laut Regent Sukamta at the beginning of the people's palm oil replanting in Tanah Laut District. (Antara/Istimewa)
