RI strengthens collaboration among palm oil-producing countries

This article has been translated by PwC Indonesia as part of our Plantation News Highlights service. PwC Indonesia has not checked the accuracy of, and accepts no responsibility for the content.

Investor Daily 

27 March 2023

Jakarta - Indonesia as the driving force of the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) is emphasising the importance of strengthening the cooperation among palm oil producing countries to mitigate the potential food crisis. One of the efforts carried out by Indonesia and Malaysia is to provide oil palm seeds to farmers in Honduras in who were affected by the storm in 2020.

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said that the Indonesian government has been promoting various solutions to mitigate the potential food crisis that is forecasted to hit various countries. One of the commodities that has the potential to be a considerable and important solution is palm oil, which is an edible oil or a vegetable oil. Regarding that effort, the Indonesian and Malaysian governments through CPOPC have sent aid in the form of more than 100 thousand germinated oil palm seeds to help hundreds of smallholders in Honduras who were affected by the storm in 2020. “This donation initiative is suitable to show our commitment to collaboration and solidarity among palm oil producing countries,” Coordinating Minister Airlangga revealed when he delivered a keynote speech virtually at the Shipment Ceremony of Germinated Seed (GS) Delivery to Honduras on Monday (20/03/2023).

Airlangga also welcomed Honduras as a new member of CPOPC and appreciated the various related parties that have ensured the availability of the seeds, the administrative requirements, and timely logistics in delivering the seeds. “I want to reaffirm the importance of strengthening the alliance among palm oil producing countries so that CPOPC can play a bigger role in the future. These germinated oil palm seeds are a step in a 1,000-mile journey,” Airlangga said in his statement as quoted on Friday (24/03/2023). The event was also attended by the Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister and Plantation and Commodities Minister, Honduras Agriculture Minister, MPC Secretary General, Indonesian Ambassador to Panama, and Advisor from Embassy of Malaysia in Jakarta.

CPOPC Secretary General Rizal Affandi Lukman stated that the seed aid reached 102 thousand oil palm germinated seeds. The support would cover at least 337 hectares (ha) of oil palm plantation in Honduras out of the 4,988 ha of oil palm plantation that are estimated to be damaged by the Eta storm.