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SERIKAT PETANI KELAPA SAWIT (SPKS)
INDEPENDENT PALM OIL FARMERS IN RIAU, MEMBER OF PALM OIL FARMERS UNION (SPKS), OBTAIN RSPO CERTIFICATION
Jakarta, Juli 2th, 2022 – Members of the Palm Oil Farmers Union (SPKS) in Rokan Hulu Regency, Riau who are members of Perkumpulan Petani Sawit Swadaya Tambusai Sejahtera (PPSTS) have received Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification in early 2022. Members of the association PPSSTS that received RSPO certification are 102 farmers with total area of 345.94 hectars. Mardoli, manager of ICS from the PPSSTS association said that its certified members are pure independent palm oil smallholders with an average area of less than 3 hectars, located in 4 villages: Desa Batas, Rambah, Sungai Kumango and Tambusai Barat.
As an organization of palm oil farmers with 72 thousand members in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi, SPKS has targeted its members to be included in the RSPO certification scheme. Mansuestus Darto, the secretary general of the National SPKS, said that we are committed in transforming our members, palm oil smallholders, to meet the standards of the world palm oil market. It is our target that by 2023 there will be 1000 of our members to be included in RSPO certification. Currently there are 102 farmers with an area of 345.94 hectars in Rokan Hulu who has obtained RSPO certification, and some other districts will follow. Those districts are : Sekadau - West Kalimantan, Paser - East Kalimantan, Siak - Riau and Labura of North Sumatra.
RSPO certification is very important because it can be part of a strategy to improve palm oil governance especially concerning independent oil palm smallholders, which so far have face many challenges. Through the RSPO certification scheme, independent palm oil smallholders will recorder by name, by address and by spatial/polygon. This will improve database on palm oil farmers and can also support government prgram in accelerating STDB. Institutions in the form of cooperatives will be built and also provided with management training on good and strong cooperative management. Palm oil farmers will also receive Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) training on many topics such as fertilizer, spray, care, harvesting, Integrated Pest Training (IPM), Pesticide Use Training etc. In addition to training independent palm oil farmers will also be encouraged in building partnership with RSPO member companies around them, said Mansuetus Darto, through a press release on 2 Juli 2022.
Mansuetus Darto then added that the RSPO and its members could support independent smallholders in Indonesia to participate in the RSPO certification scheme. The company's practices must change from being opportunistic and indifferent to independent palm oil smallholders, to new ones, to promote smallholders in Indonesia and respect the environment
"When smallholders get certified, it is a step towards market transformation which is important not only for sustainable development but RSPO's agenda. We applaud SPKS Riau for realising the need to contribute towards sustainable agricultural practices by making this transition. RSPO is pleased to support the process and provide funding through our Smallholder Support Fund (RSSF)," says Guntur Prabowo, RSPO Indonesia's Smallholder Programme Sr. Manager, adding that RSPO welcomes other SPKS members to take up certification.
About RSPO :
We are a not-for-profit that unites stakeholders from the 7 sectors of the palm oil industry: oil palm producers, processors or traders, consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, banks/investors, and environmental and social non-governmental organisations (NGOs), to develop and implement global standards for sustainable palm oil/ https://rspo.org/
About SPKS:
The Palm Oil Farmers Union (SPKS) is an organization of palm oil farmers in Indonesia that is committed in strengthening the scale of sustainability, welfare and independence of farmers through capacity building, economic institutions and facilitating farmer access. SPKS currently has around 72 thousand members consisting small independent farmers on 14 regencies and 8 provinces from Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi: Labura, Rokan Hulu, Siak, Pelalawan, Kuansing, Tanjabar, Sanggau, Sekadau, Sintang, Paser, Kobar regencies. and Seruyan/, Muba, Install Wood, Central Mamuju/ https://www.spks.or.id/
Media Contact :
Sabarudin – Department of Organization and Membership
National Office of SPKS :
Tel: 0251-8571263
WA: 0822-7488-6619
Email:info.spksnasional@gmail.com
Website: www.spks.or.id
