Jokowi, Palm Oil, and Electability Drop in Sumatra

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Incumbent President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, revealed that his electability drop in Sumatra was affected by the dropping palm oil prices in the region.

"Why did my electability in Sumatra drop? And also in Jambi, even if it is just a small amount? [Because] the prices for crude palm oil had dropped, rubber too," said Jokowi in an meeting with his regional campaign organizers on Sunday, December 16, 2018.

Jokowi explained that the price drop was driven by global economic issue and that the government cannot control the global market. Similar case also occured in the European Union's market for palm oil. "We were banned [in Europe] and blocked since there is a similar business that resembles the palm oil product from France in the form of sunflower oil. To protect that, we were hampered even further," said the President.

The slightly frustrated Jokowi defended that the government has done everything possible to maintain the high prices of crude palm oil. "Don't think that the government doesn't understand Sumatra's and Jambi's macro problems," said the President.

President Jokowi also said that the drop in palm oil prices was also caused by the disparity between crude palm oil production and demand

ANTARA