Bisnis Indonesia, 11 October 2018
Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) Medan Chapter Head Rudi Zulham Hasibuan has called on the government to optimize palm oil productivity and boost exports. Speaking on the sidelines of Palmex Indonesia 2018 in Medan, North Sumatra, recently, he said that Indonesia only manages to produce 37.8 million metric tons of palm oil a year from some 14 hectares of palm oil plantations. Meanwhile, Malaysia, as the world’s second largest producer, can produce 25 million metric tons from only five hectares of oil palm plantations.
He suggested the government and related institutions step up palm oil research and development in order to solve the issues facing palm oil producing regions as well as train oil palm farmers to boost their productivity.