GAPKI replanting oil palm, intercropping gogo rice in Kotabaru

Kotabaru, South Kalimantan (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Palm Oil Producers Association (GAPKI)has conducted first planting of Smallholder Oil Palm Replanting Program (PSR) intercropping with gogo rice in Telagasari Village, Kotabaru Regency, South Kalimantan.

“This in an effort to accelerate and increase smallholders' oil palm rejuvenation through PSR partnership program under the guidance of GAPKI,” said GAPKI Chairman Eddy Martono after the symbolic planting of partnership line at the Gajah Mada Village Unit Cooperative (KUD) plantation fostered by PT Tapian Nadenggan, Wednesday.

PSR with partnership is one of GAPKI's main program, because it will help farmers to rejuvenate their old, damaged, and unproductive oil palm trees.

“As well as increasing palm oil productivity both regionally and nationally. Gogo rice intercropping between oil palm plants in South Kalimantan is the first we have conducted in Indonesia,” he said.

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Eddy expounded that intercropping Gogo rice can be done as long as the leaf canopy of oil palm has not closed.

In addition to increasing farmers' production and income, he said, PSR program helps farmers provide food to support national food security.

He assessed this program is very important considering palm oil industry is a source of income for 17 million heads of families, including farmers, employees, as well as a source of foreign exchange income.

In 2022, the foreign exchange exports from palm oil industry reached 39.28 billion US dollars, contributing to Indonesia's balance of trade to a surplus of 55.77 billion US dollars.

“However, there are several obstacles that will affect the amount of production of oil plam in the future, one of them is there is still a regulation that is not synchronized. That is what we must resolve with the government together,” said Eddy.

The kick off of PSR intercropping gogo rice program was attended by Director of Oil Palm and various Palm Crops at Directorate General of Plantation (Ditjenbun) of Agriculture Ministry Ardi Praptono, boards of GAPKI central and South Kalimantan, the Palm Oil Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDPKS), South Kalimantan Government, Kotabaru District Government, KUD Gajah Mada, and related parties.

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