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Oil palm farmers in Manokwari received a PSR grant of Rp15 billion from BPDPKS.
WINDONESIA May 10, 2024
Manokwari Regency's Agriculture, Horticulture, Plantations, Livestock, and Food Security Office Head Kukuh Saptoyudo. (ANTARA/Ali Nur Ichsan)
Smallholder oil palm farmers in Manokwari Regency, West Papua Province, received a Rp15 billion smallholder oil palm rejuvenation (PSR) grant from the Indonesian Oil Palm Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDPKS).
"This year, Manokwari received a PSR grant allocation for 500 hectares (ha) of smallholder oil palm plantations. Each ha received Rp30 million, which brings the total to Rp15 billion," Manokwari Regency's Agriculture, Horticulture, Plantations, Livestock, and Food Security Office Head Kukuh Saptoyudo stated on May 8, 2024 in Manokwari, West Papua Province.
He said that 300 ha had been approved out of the 500 ha target, so Rp9 billion of the budget had been distributed to smallholder oil palm farmers scattered across several villages in the Masni District, Manokwari.
The funds were directly disbursed to the accounts of several oil palm farmer cooperatives in Manokwari. They received Rp60 million on average because oil palm farmers in Manokwari typically own a minimum of 2 ha of land.
"This grant is the government's support for oil palm farmers. The grant is used for felling and chipping or rejuvenating oil palm plantations," he said.
Felling and chipping is the process of felling mature oil palm trees, then chipping and shredding them, after which the land is prepared for replanting.
Currently, the Manokwari Regency's Agriculture, Horticulture, Plantations, Livestock, and Food Security Office is still in the process of proposing an additional 200 ha of oil palm land located around the Masni District.
The most important requirements to obtain the grant is that the land should not be within protected forest areas, not under the Right to Cultivate (HGU), and they must have a polygon map. Only those who meet the requirements can qualify for assistance.
"We have submitted the polygon maps and coordinate points for 200 ha of smallholder oil palm plantations to the National Land Agency (BPN)'s Manokwari Office to ensure that the area is not under HGU. We are awaiting a response from BPN, and if it is not within HGU, we will submit it to the central government," he said.
He added that smallholder oil palm plantations in Manokwari covered a total area of nearly 10,000 ha. Meanwhile, the oil palm plantations that had been felled and chipped or replanted accounted for 2,345 ha. The oil palm plantations are scattered across the Warpramasi (Warmare, Prafi, Masni, and Sidey Districts) plain.
Source: www.antaranews.com