President Jokowi Considers Palm Oil as Indonesia`s Green Gold

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo or Jokowi claims that the country’s palm oil industry is the largest in the world. He also considers palm oil as Indonesia’s green gold.

“But remember, being the largest means we must also be able to perfectly manage it,” said the seventh Indonesian President during an event related to the palm oil industry that was held at North Sumatra that is on Monday, November 27.

Read: Indonesia`s Palm Oil Gains Popularity in Pakistan

Jokowi reminded that the government must pay more attention to the plant used as the main ingredient in soaps, cosmetics, cooking oil, pharmacy, and even biodiesel. He admits that Indonesia’s palm oil productivity remains low due a poor management.

“Of 11.9 million hectares of palm oil plantation in Indonesia, 4.6 million hectares are owned by the people. Especially in North Sumatra, there are 350,000 hectares that need to be rejuvenated from the total amount of 470,000 hectares. That is a huge size,” said President Jokowi.

President Jokowi promised to complete the process of rejuvenating palm oil plantations through a number of ways. One of them is distributing micro loans for the rejuvenation of people’s palm oil plantations. President Jokowi hopes that Indonesia would remain competitive with Malaysia and Africa in terms of palm oil productivity.

M JULNIS FIRMANSYAH