Director of bioenergy at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Edi Wibowo, here on Thursday emphasized the importance of sustainable biodiesel development, especially the future implementation of B100.
He said that biodiesel development will not only involve his ministry but also the Ministry of Agriculture, the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, and other stakeholders, including palm oil companies and farmers.
"Biodiesel production heavily relies on palm oil as the primary raw material. Therefore, the role of palm oil farmers, both smallholder and independent, is crucial," Wibowo explained.
Wibowo further said that the partnership between farmers and companies must be strengthened to ensure that the biodiesel program not only succeeds in the industrial sector but also directly benefits palm oil farmers.
According to the institutional coordinator at the Directorate of Oil Palm and Various Palms of the Ministry of Agriculture, Mula Putra, the government will increase the capacity of human resources through apprenticeships and training programs for cultivators.
Data collection through the Cultivation Registration Certificate will be strengthened to improve the trade of oil palm fresh fruit bunches (FFB) and increase farmers' income through the integration of intercropping, animal husbandry, and palm oil waste utilization.
Putra expressed optimism that these measures would boost the productivity of oil palm plantation smallholders to 30–40 tons of FFB per hectare with a yield of 23–25 percent.
"The increase is expected to support the palm oil-based biodiesel program and improve the welfare of Indonesian palm oil farmers," he said.
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Translator: Subagyo, Raka Adji
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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