Labuhanbatu Selatan, 13 December 2018 – Members of the Anugerah Jaya Mandiri Sejahtera (AJMS) Cooperative, who received financial assistance from the government for the replanting of their oil palm plantations, carried out their first replanting in South Labuhanbatu Regency on Tuesday (12/12).
Present to witness the planting was Deputy Governor of North Sumatra, H. Musa Rajekshah, South Labuhanbatu Regent, H. Wildan Aswan Tanjung, Head of North Sumatra Plantation Office, Ir. Herawati N, M.MA, Head of Labuhanbatu Selatan District Plantation, Hj. Asni Harahap, Head of Livestock Service Office, sub-district head, as well as the village head of Perlabian Village in Kampung Rakyat Subsdistrict, South Labuhanbatu Regency.
As part of the government’s People’s Oil Palm Replanting (PSR) Program, the AMJS Cooperative had previously received funds for their replanting from President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo, in March 2018.
At the time, 79 independent smallholders received funds from the Indonesian Oil Palm Estate Fund (BPDPKS) through Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) for replanting 157 hectares of land.
Deputy Governor H. Musa Rajekshah expressed appreciation to Asian Agri for its support towards the AJMS Cooperative, and towards the PSR Program as a whole in North Sumatra.
For the replanting, the farmers used Asian Agri’s superior Topaz pam oil seeds, which have the potential for significantly higher productivity, compared to usual oil palm seeds.
Oil palms grow with Topaz seeds can also be harvested relatively faster after 30 months, so farmers do not need to wait as long for the trees to grow.
“I hope this replanting will not only happen once. Asian Agri’s support towards the PSR Program should be able to encourage other companies to do the same thing and support the program in Sumatra,” he said.
Asian Agri Head of Development and Smallholder, Sahrul Hasibuan, said that Asian Agri’s management highly appreciates the support shown by the Government of North Sumatra Province and South Labuhanbatu Regency Government towards the PSR Program.
“We are making history today in North Sumatra with the replanting in Perlabian,” he said.
Sahrul added, “The support and attendance of the Deputy Governor of North Sumatra, along with other government officials today at the initial PSR planting event in Perlabian Village means a lot to the community, especially the farmers who have the courage and determination to build oil palm plantations which are productive and sustainable.”
South Labuhanbaru Regent, H. Wildan Aswan Tanjung also expressed appreciation to Asian Agri for the company’s continuous support of farmers throughout the replanting period.
“Asian Agri is a great example to other private companies and state-owned enterprises on how to help oil palm farmers, particularly in terms of implementing the government’s PSR Program successfully,” he said.
During the event, Head of Perlabian Village, Irhamsyah Lubis, and Head of AJMS Cooperative, Akmad Rizaldi Syah, also received honey guava seeds and catfish from Asian Agri, which are meant to help the farmers gain alternative income while waiting for their replanted oil palms to be ready for harvest.
About Asian Agri:
Asian Agri is one of Indonesia’s largest palm oil producers since 1979. Today, the company manages 100,000 hectares of land and employs over 25,000 people. A pioneer of the Indonesian government’s Trans-National Government Migration (PIR-Trans) program, Asian Agri works with 30,000 plasma smallholders in Riau and Jambi who operate 60,000 hectares of palm oil plantations, as well as independent smallholders, bringing about positive impact on their quality of life and economic development.
Implementing a strict “no burn” policy and best practices in sustainable plantation management, Asian Agri has helped its smallholder partners improve productivity, yield and supply chain traceability, while assisting them obtain certifications. The company’s mills are technologically advanced and energy self-sufficient, minimizing greenhouse gas emissions.
Asian Agri is a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). More than 86% of both owned plantations in North Sumatra, Riau & Jambi provinces and 100% of scheme smallholder plantations in Riau & Jambi provinces have been RSPO certified.
All plantations, including those owned by smallholders, have been certified by ISCC (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification).
More than 93% of plantations and mills owned by Asian Agri have been ISPO (Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil) certified.
The company’s operations are ISO 14001 certified, while its Learning Institute and nursery research center in Riau province, Indonesia are both ISO 9001 certified. Asian Agri’s R&D Center in North Sumatra was also given a certification by the International Plant-Analytical Exchange at the WEPAL lab at Wageningen University in The Netherlands, for its high standards.
For further information, please contact:
| Dinna Permana Setyani |
| Corporate Communication Manager |
| E-mail: DinnaPermana@www.asianagri.com |
| DID: (021) 230 1119 |
