A major palm oil grower in Indonesia is breeding an army of predatory bugs to protect trees from pest infestations that could hurt output. PT Astra Agro Lestari, the country’s biggest listed plantation company, is growing several insects including Sycanus, a kind of assassin bug, to battle leaf-eating fire worms, according to Bandung Sahari, vice…
Indonesia’s far from done in its campaign to squeeze more value from its abundant natural resources, and its next target could be one of the most ubiquitous commodities of all. President Joko Widodo on Wednesday said the resources powerhouse wants to process more crude palm oil domestically, which would potentially mean fewer exports of the…
The snail–like pace at which Indonesia is improving the sustainability of its palm oil agriculture in the face of mounting pressure from global trade players could jeopardize the commodity’s future, experts have warned. Among the critics of Indonesia’s palm oil agriculture management is Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) forestry expert and Center for International Forestry Research…
Recently, Indonesia was faced with a problematic issue relating to the crude-palm-oil (CPO) industry as the European Union announced plans to ban the importation of the commodity. The EU claimed that environmental concerns were a strong reason for the ban, but a closer look suggests that European domestic interests were also a major incentive. According…
Does Nepal produce palm oil? No. So how did it feature as Nepal’s top export item in the last fiscal and in the first month of this fiscal? Nepal exported Rs 10.3 billion of palm oil in the last fiscal, which ended in mid-July. This export volume surprised many as the central bank report had…
MUMBAI – Earlier this month, India raised customs duty on Malaysian palm oil, bringing the import duty rate at par with those on other countries such as Indonesia. However, Indonesian Palm Oil Association sees the hike as too late to recover the market share lost to its closest competitor in India, the world’s biggest importer…
India’s palm oil imports in 2019/20 are likely to rise 2% from a year earlier to a record high as consumption in the world’s biggest edible oil buyer will expand more rapidly than local supplies, a leading industry analyst said on Wednesday. Higher imports may help support benchmark Malaysian palm oil prices that in July…
PUTRAJAYA: It is unfair to keep blaming the palm oil industry for the haze, as many companies adhere to sustainable agriculture standards, says Teresa Kok. The Primary Industries Minister said palm oil companies subscribe to the principles set by initiatives aimed at promoting sustainable palm oil production such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil…
KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 19): It is inaccurate to direct much of the blame for the recent haze in Southeast Asia towards the palm oil industry, as oil palm plantations are generally not the source of burning, according to the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC). Fires recorded on plantation areas have generally spread there…
The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry is working to secure global recognition of Indonesian palm oil–based biofuels as a renewable energy source after the European Union categorized the product as unsustainable earlier this year. The ministry’s deputy minister Arcandra Tahar said he met representatives from the International Energy Agency (IEA) and International Renewable Energy Agency…
JAKARTA, Sept 12 (Reuters) – * Azis Hidayat, chairman of the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) secretariat, said the area covered by ISPO certified plantations will reach 5.5 million hectares by the end of 2019 * Currently there are 5.17 million hectares of ISPO certified plantations, made up of plantations run by 550 companies and…
Jakarta. Indonesia’s palm oil lobby group and one of the country’s most prominent agricultural research institutes signed memorandum of understanding in Bogor, West Java, on Tuesday on the development of sustainable palm plantations. The agreement between the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (Gapki) and Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) emphasizes technology-based research and development to meet the…
MUMBAI/NEW DELHI (Sept 5): India has raised the tax on refined palm oil from Malaysia to 50% from 45% for six months to curb imports and boost local refining. The world’s biggest edible oil importer currently imposes a 40% import tax on crude palm oil and 50% on refined palm oils. But since January, shipments…
Jakarta. An early warning system developed by Astra Agro Lestari has helped prevent forest fires in Paser district, East Kalimantan, the palm oil producer said in a press release. Edward Effendi, head of the Paser chapter of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), lauded Astra Agro subsidiary Borneo Indah Marjaya for the steps it had taken…
The government has finally agreed to bear the costs incurred by smallhold farmers for obtaining Indonesia Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certification, a senior minister has said. Coordinating Economic Minister Darmin Nasution said in Jakarta on Wednesday that the funding program would be part of the presidential regulation on ISPO administration, which was expected to be…
Jakarta. Astra Agro Lestari has said in a statement they have made a series of preparations in anticipation of extreme weather changes and potential forest fires during this dry season. Working closely with the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPPD), the National Police, the Army and the Environment and Forestry Ministry, Astra Agro already has 1,036 fire management personnel at the ready. The company’s…
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25 — The Ministry of Primary Industries will hold discussions with the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry as well as the Ministry of International Trade and Industry to discuss on measures to create a better trade balance between Malaysia and India for the palm oil market. Minister Teresa Kok said the…
THE JAKARTA POST/JAKARTA The government is lacking in strong measures to fight tariff barriers implemented by several palm oil export destinations, including India and the European Union, Indonesian Oil Palm Association (GAPKI) chairman Joko Supriyono has said. The country’s number one export commodity continues to face criticism over sustainability, such as deforestation issues raised by…
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia to issue a new palm sustainability regulation to give greater support for smallholders to get sustainability certificates, Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs Darmin Nasution said on Wednesday. Under the new regulation, the government will fund certification process by Indonesia Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) for smallholders, he told reporters. The new decree,…
JAKARTA, July 31 (Reuters) – Indonesia’s Palm Oil Association (GAPKI) urged the government to increase import tariffs on dairy products from the European Union in retaliation for the bloc’s policies on palm oil. Exports of palm oil from the world’s top producer Indonesia to Europe are under threat after the EU decided that palm oil…
