Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto is pushing for economic equality through strategic policies, one of which is expanding oil palm plantations.
Regarding this, Professor of the Bogor Agricultural Institute, Prof. Yanto Santoso, assessed that President Prabowo’s policy to expand oil palm plantations was appropriate and was not deforestation.
“The plan to expand oil palm plantations on degraded land cannot be called deforestation. From not forested, not growing plants, then converted into oil palm plantations. That is precisely reforestation,” he said.
He explained that if oil palm plantations are built with a mixed plantation system, this policy can be considered reforestation.
“I recommend that 30% of oil palm land be filled with local superior forest plants,” added Prof. Yanto.
He also emphasized that utilizing damaged forests for oil palm planting can increase land productivity without damaging the environment.
“I also do not agree if the jungle is cut down for palm oil, but if the forest is damaged, that is actually a solution to increase productivity,” he said.
Prof. Yanto revealed that Indonesia has around 31.8 million hectares of degraded forests which are often the source of fires.
By utilizing this land, according to him, it can reduce fires and increase economic value.
Meanwhile, the General Chairman of the Indonesian Palm Oil House, Kacuk Sumarto, welcomed this policy.
“We fully support President Prabowo’s policy to utilize degraded land. This also supports the vision of bioenergy independence,” he said.
Kacuk added that although oil palm plantations do not completely replace the function of forests, at least this policy can reduce the rate of environmental degradation while increasing economic value.
He also suggested the use of mixed plantations by combining oil palm and food-producing woody plants to maintain forest function.
In a separate location, the General Chair of the Indonesian Palm Oil Farmers Association, Gulat ME Manurung, also supported the government’s policy.
“17 million palm oil farmer families from Aceh to Papua fully support this policy,” he explained.
He emphasized the importance of optimizing degraded land through the community oil palm rejuvenation (PSR) and extensification programs.
“Palm oil is God’s gift to Indonesia,” said Gulat. []