Banjarbaru, S Kalimantan (Antaranews Kalsel) - South Kalimantan Governor H Sahbirin Noor or familiarly called Uncle Birin opened the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) socialization and clinic at Grand Daffam Hotel, Banjarbaru.
He thanked the Association of Indonesian Palm Oil Entrepreneurs (GAPKI) South Kalimantan, which collaborated with the Office of Plantation and Animal Husbandry to organize this activity which lasted for two days from February 18 to 19, 2019.
"Our presence shows our seriousness to manage the plantation sub-sector better and sustainably in South Kalimantan," he said in his speech.
He explained that the position of the plantation in South Kalimantan was very important. This sub-sector contributed significantly in contributing to the foreign exchange for the region, after the mining sector. It absorbs a large enough workforce and culturally the community life of South Kalimantan is supported by the plantation sub-sector, especially oil palm and rubber.
Thus, it is very reasonable if the plantation sub-sector in the region develops quite rapidly. Currently, the area of oil palm plantations is more than 423 thousand hectares or 11.28 percent of the total province of South Kalimantan.
"24.6 percent are smallholder plantations, the rest are large private plantations of 74 percent, and state large plantations are 5.7 percent," he said.
According to him, with the vast oil palm plantation, South Kalimantan must be able to use it for prosperity for the people of the province.
He urged that oil palm plantations have strong competitiveness, open employment opportunities as wide as possible, including how to manage oil palm in the region to become a sustainable economic power.
"Environmental issues related to oil palm also often arise, fluctuations in CPO prices and other dynamics need our mutual attention, including encouraging oil palm plantations to obtain ISPO certificates," he said.
