PALMOILMAGAZINE, MUARO JAMBI — The Directorate General of Plantations (Ditjenbun) of the Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan), in collaboration with PTPN IV PalmCo, carried out the first harvest of upland rice cultivated through an intercropping system on oil palm replanting land under the People’s Palm Oil Replanting Program (Peremajaan Sawit Rakyat/PSR) in KUD Dwi Jaya, Tanjung Sari Village, Sungai Bahar Subdistrict, Muaro Jambi Regency, on Tuesday, May 27, 2025.
This harvest marks a significant step in optimizing replanting-phase oil palm land to support national food security.
According to Heru Tri Widarto, Acting Director General of Plantations, the rice was planted on February 5, 2025, covering 16 hectares out of a total 140.62 hectares of PSR land. The estimated yield is around 2.5 tons of harvested dry grain (GKP) per hectare.
Also Read:
Heru explained that cultivating upland rice on PSR land aims to maintain farmers’ productivity during the replanting period. Beyond bolstering food security, the initiative also serves as a national pilot project for efficient and sustainable land use.
“Today’s harvest proves that the PSR program isn’t just about oil palm — it also delivers real benefits through productive intercropping,” Heru stated, as quoted by beige-heron-208544.hostingersite.com from the Ditjenbun website on Friday, May 30.
Irwan Perangin Angin, Director of Institutional Relations at PTPN IV PalmCo, welcomed the collaboration enthusiastically. He reaffirmed PalmCo’s commitment to expanding the intercropping program, describing it as a productive solution for oil palm farmers and a strong support for the government’s efforts to boost national food production.
Meanwhile, Hendrizal, Head of the Jambi Provincial Plantation Office, outlined that Jambi has set a target to plant 38,171 hectares of upland rice in 2025. As of now, 8,601 hectares (22.53%) of proposed land and farmer data (CPCL) have been submitted to the Directorate General of Food Crops and Agricultural Infrastructure. From the government’s support programs, seed assistance is ready for 1,518 hectares.
In Muaro Jambi Regency alone, the upland rice planting target reaches 5,044 hectares.
Nationally, Ditjenbun targets upland rice cultivation on 16,704 hectares this year, Heru added.
In a separate statement, Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman expressed his full support for the initiative. He emphasized that with the right strategies and potential being harnessed, Indonesia is on the right track toward ensuring domestic food stability and improving its global agricultural competitiveness.
“Achieving food self-sufficiency, especially in rice, must be a collective effort. The government cannot do it alone — it requires synergy from all elements of the nation. If we move together, Indonesia can absolutely achieve food independence,” Minister Amran concluded. (P3)
