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Rescue of the People’s Tea Plantations Must Begin

10

Apr

Rescue of the People’s Tea Plantations Must Begin

The reason is that the majority of people's plantation does not have quality seeds that can support the productivity of tea. The Acting Director of [...]

Rescue of the People’s Tea Plantations Must Begin. The reason is that the majority of people's plantation does not have quality seeds that can support the productivity of tea.
The Acting Director of the Tea and Cinchona Research Center (PPTK) Gambung, Luqman Erningpraja said that the share of the national tea market is actually still very interesting.
The problem is that during this time, many tea cultivations have not been in accordance with the provisions so that they can produce quality tea or best agricultural practices.
`Not a few farmers are not careful in picking tea such as old leaves that are picked, so the grade goes down. If the grade goes down, the price is also low,` he told Bisnis, Wednesday (4/5/2017).
According to him, GPATN was once carried out by the government in 2014. The massive movement to save tea plantations made the need for quality and certified seeds to increase and sold up to 1,500 trees with a price of each stem reaching Rp2,000.
In one hectare, it can hold 13,000 trees. Thus, the money that must be spent to fulfill the restoration of the tea plant is quite high. So, it is reasonable if the people's tea plantations are less capable and GPATN can be the solution. PPTK is the only institution that produces superior certified tea seeds in Indonesia.
`For people's plantations, they may not be able to buy the certified seeds that are produced or they do not want to. Because usually people's plantations expect a helping hand from the government, either subsidies or other schemes,` he said.
The government must intervene in GPATN, especially to provide good seeds. However, good seeds are not enough, because it will be useless if not supported by good maintenance as well.
`In the end, he will suffer. We are optimistic that the tea industry is still good as long as it is supported by good tea quality,` he said.
So far, the productivity of people's tea is still low because it is below 1 ton/ha/year. In fact, what has been done on the Simalungun plantation, North Sumatra, the productivity of tea is already above 5 tons/ha/year.
Regarding the price, the tea produced is a premium class because it sells products with the best quality. In addition, his party has also gone towards organic plantations because they do not use many insecticides and pesticides.
PPTK is able to produce a variety of teas ranging from white, black, and green tea. Not only having seeds, it also has a tea processing factory with a capacity of 25 tons/day. Even so, the tea supply capacity from the tea plantation in Gambung, which covers an area of ??400 ha, is only 10 tons/day.
`Indeed, it is not yet in accordance with its capacity because productivity is still not good because throughout 2016 there was a long drought so productivity decreased. However, this year it will likely increase by 10-15%,` he said.
Asked about regular consumers for his tea products, Luqman said that his party had a sales and purchase agreement with a private party. Furthermore, the private party exports it. To meet the high market demand, his party does not only rely on Gambung, but also 72 ha on the Pasir Sarongge plantation, Cianjur and 100 ha in Simalungun.
Regarding the Cinchona commodity, he admitted that it was indeed rather late in its development. However, currently there are Cinchona plantations with an area of ??20 ha. Besides that, his party also continues to rejuvenate plants.
`But that is still small and the area will continue to increase. Indeed, the market compared to tea is much larger than tea. Besides, the use of Cinchona is also limited. Moreover, for domestic use,` he said.
For the Cinchona export market, there is actually, especially to meet the needs of the carbonated soft drink industry such as Coca Cola for strengthening the bitter element in the drink.
According to him, Cinchona is almost extinct due to economic factors or the quiet demand for the market. Previously, especially in the era of the Dutch East Indies, the need for Cinchona was quite high as a cure for malaria. Even so, the market is now open again because Cinchona is needed for drinks.
`Plus, it's not yet widely promoted and the trees are limited,` he said.
It must be admitted that PPTK is a research center that must finance its own operational needs because there is no government assistance to pay employee salaries, research, and so on.
`If now we play around with commodities that are not yet certain, we will not get income. Here, the tree that can quickly make money is what we are working on, one of which is tea,` he explained.
http://industri.bisnis.com/read/20170405/99/642834/penyelamatan-perkebunan-teh-rakyat-harus-dimulai

Palm Kernel Oil-Based Emulsifiers and Food Preservatives

10

Apr

Palm Kernel Oil-Based Emulsifiers and Food Preservatives

Wahyu Bahari, along with his colleagues, began this research in 2015. The following year, they received funding from the BPDP Palm Oil Plantation [...]

Palm Kernel Oil-Based Emulsifiers and Food Preservatives. Wahyu Bahari, along with his colleagues, began this research in 2015. The following year, they received funding from the BPDP Palm Oil Plantation Fund for this research. The research team consisted of Ir. Tri Yogo Wibowo, MT, Ir. Didi Dwi Anggoro, M.Eng, Ph.D, Heryoki Yohanes, ST, Fatim Illaningtyas, S.TP., M.Si and support from the Diponegoro University Chemical Engineering students. `We chose palm kernel oil because its derivatives have not yet been processed much domestically. Meanwhile, most of them are exported only in the form of palm kernel oil. Based on the analysis results, palm kernel oil contains a lot of lauric acid, around 50%. Lauric acid can be utilized or further processed into high-value lauric acid derivative products, `said Wahyu when contacted by Sawit Indonesia. He said that with that much lauric acid content, palm kernel oil could be processed as a preservative and food emulsifier. An emulsifier is an additional material to unify food ingredients that contain water and oil like ice cream, mayonnaise and other processed products. In the process, palm kernel oil was hydrolyzed to produce several types of fatty acids, one of which is lauric acid. The lauric acid is then separated from the other fatty acids by using a fractionation process. Next, the lauric acid is reacted with glycerol until it produces glycerol mono-laurate (GML) that functions as an emulsifier and food preservative. `GML can function as an emulsifier because the two carbon atoms from the glycerol have an active hydroxyl group to provide hydrophobic characteristics, which are often referred to as head groups. The glycerol element can form a hydrogen bond with water in areas that contain water and are often referred to as head groups. The hydrocarbon chain provides the hydrophobic characteristic in GML and is often given the term tail. The existence of two different hydrophobic and hydrophilic characteristics in GML places GML in the surfactant category and makes it possible to be used as an emulsifying material in the mixture of water and oil, `he explained. Generally, the stages in this research go through the catalyst observation stage, catalyst dealumination, lauric acid esterification with glycerol, analysis of reaction results and products purity analysis (GML content). This research is a development of the study based on references from various journals, with modifications made in accordance with the conditions in the field. According to him, the catalyst observation stage is the most difficult stage, requiring large funding to determine the type of catalyst and to modify the catalyst used for synthesizing this GML. `We had hit a snag when we were in the research stage of catalyst observation, although there were no serious obstacles in the stages that followed,` he said. Moreover, this palm-based food preservative and emulsifier product has advantages when compared with other emulsifier products. Emulsifier products that are sold in the market function only as food preservatives or emulsifiers alone. Meanwhile, the product that was researched by Wahyu Bahari and his team functions doubly, simultaneously as an emulsifier and food preservative. He said that in countries like Europe, America or Japan, for example, the communities that avoid animal products, whether for religious reasons or because they are vegetarians, have made it a `routine ritual` to check the food composition of items they buy. One of the things that consumers focus on is the source of the emulsifier: whether it comes from plants or animals. The reason is to avoid animal products, to ensure its halal status, to observe aspects of health (i.e. allergies) or because of a vegetarian lifestyle. https://sawitindonesia.com/rubrikasi-majalah/inovasi/pengawet-makanan-dan-emulsifier-berbasis-minyak-inti-sawit/

24

Mar

Processed CPO Trends Increase This Year

The Executive Director of the Indonesian Vegetable Oil Industry Association (GIMNI), Sahat Sinaga, said that there will be an increase in demand for [...]

Processed CPO Trends Increase This Year. The Executive Director of the Indonesian Vegetable Oil Industry Association (GIMNI), Sahat Sinaga, said that there will be an increase in demand for CPO processed exports this year. The target for CPO processed exports in 2017 is approximately 18.35 million tons. This number is an increase of approximately 10% compared to last year’s export performance, which was at 17.9 million tons.
`The CPO processed goods with the most interest in the export market are refined oil and oleo-chemical oil,` Sahat explained to KONTAN on Tuesday (14/3).
He explained that refined oil is frequently needed by the food and food ingredients industry. Meanwhile, oleo-chemical oil is needed by the cosmetics and plastics industry.
Sahat emphasized that Indonesia is no longer targeting the European market. `Currently, the potential markets are in the Middle East and Central Asia. The European market has too much demand, but does not want to increase prices,` he said.
Meanwhile, there has been a decrease in demand for raw CPO products. This year’s export target is approximately 7.9 million tons. Meanwhile, the performance of raw CPO exports in 2016 was 8.77 million tons. `The trend in demand is indeed greater for CPO processed goods. This is also in accordance with the Government’s downstream program,` Sahat concluded.
http://industri.kontan.co.id/news/gimni-tren-cpo-olahan-meningkat-tahun-ini

PTPN XI Focus on Efficiency & Diversification

24

Mar

PTPN XI Focus on Efficiency & Diversification

PTPN XI President Director Moh Cholidi said that for increasing revenue, there are many things that can be done, especially amidst of declining sugar [...]

PTPN XI Focus on Efficiency & Diversification. PTPN XI President Director Moh Cholidi said that for increasing revenue, there are many things that can be done, especially amidst of declining sugar price. One of them is via operational cost cutting. `There are still costs we paid last year, such as external power, alternative fuel, and electricity cost. We can lower these, there is still a slot although the sugar price has a tendency to decrease,` he said in Surabaya, Monday (3/13). Last year, PTPN XI booked Rp 132 billion profit and this year it is projected to be Rp 86 billion. He explained that this year the company did not set a too high profit target because there are some costs that must be allocated to investment this year. One of them is to increase the capacity of PG Djatiroto and PG Assembagoes sugar factories with a total value of around Rp 1.6 trillion. Other than that, there are still depreciation and bank interest, thus this year's profit projection cannot be set too high. `However, we are striving to surpass that target,` he said. PTPN XI Operational Director Daniyanto said this year the company is targeting sugarcane product diversification other than sugar. This is done as an alternative source of income for the company because the government controls the price of sugar and on the other hand the cost of production increases alongside labor wages and sugarcane raw material. Some of the sugarcane derivatives that will be produced are fermented pellet bagasse or fermented sugarcane pulp, and bio fertilizer. `We are also increasing the variant of sugar production, such as brown sugar, as well as utilizing our assets, which is constructing housing or apartment in our area,` he said. In order to increase production yield, PTPN XI is planning to expand the right to manage (HGU) area by 1,000 hectares every year. The targeted area includes Jember, Bondowoso, and Situbondo with potential HGU area of 3,000 hectares to 4,000 hectares. On the other hand, former PTPN XI President Director, Dolly Parlagutan Pulungan, who recently has just been replaced, hopes that the new management team has a right strategy in facing various challenges, such as economic condition, weather, and limited sugar price. He thinks that PTPN XI has good potential this year, especially since the old management has prepared a strong funding and equity. `I prepared Rp 500 billion for land acquisition and around Rp 2.4 trillion for company development of production capacity, in which Rp 650 billion comes from state capital participation and the rest from us,` he said. The financing source for this year's expansion also comes from banking, which is from BRI and BNI with a loan value of Rp 1.8 trillion. Throughout last year, PTPN XI's total sugar production reached 142,000 tons, with the highest yield from PG Assembagoes, which is 7.08%. This year, the total sugar production target is 187,000 tons with a sugarcane yield that can reach 8.04%. http://industri.bisnis.com/read/20170314/99/636978/ptpn-xi-fokus-efisiensi-diversifikasi

CPO & rubber predicted to be drivers of exports in 2017

18

Feb

CPO & rubber predicted to be drivers of exports in 2017

The Deputy for Distribution and Service Statistics, Central Statistics Agency (BPS), Sasmito Hadi Wibowo, said the export potential in 2017 is in [...]

CPO & rubber predicted to be drivers of exports in 2017. The Deputy for Distribution and Service Statistics, Central Statistics Agency (BPS), Sasmito Hadi Wibowo, said the export potential in 2017 is in commodities, specifically crude palm oil (CPO) and its derivatives. `I think the potential lies in commodities, CPO, and if possible, its derivatives. About a third of our exports are in the form of cooking oil, actually made from palm oil. Palm oil, however, has hundreds of derivatives,` Sasmito said at the BPS building, Thursday (16/2). According to Sasmito, if Indonesia can develop exports of other derivatives, the export prospect this year will be even better. `For example, cosmetics, chemical products, if that can be done, it would increase the added value,` he said. Furthermore, a commodity that can boost export potential this year is rubber. According to Sasmito, rubber and its derivatives have already been quite developed. Therefore, the growth in the number of vehicles in various countries can become a good export market share for Indonesia. `Although there is synthetic rubber, which depends on BBM prices. If BBM goes up, the price of synthetic rubber will become more expensive. BBM is likely to increase in the future, so the opportunity for rubber is also good,` he said. Later, Sasmito said that manufactured products can also boost exports in 2017. `Including tires as a derivative of rubber. Also printer products. There is a popular printer brand that is manufactured here, so we also export a lot,` he explained. Meanwhile, he said that Indonesia cannot expect much from the oil and gas sector because oil exports are still negative. `(Oil and gas) is rather difficult, but we must maintain our gas exports,` he said. He also said that coal commodities are less likely to support exports this year because they cannot be reprocessed in Indonesia. `We cannot do anything with coal, just keep digging and shipping it,` he said. Sasmito added that, with current commodity prices in recovery, Indonesia need not worry about US president number 45 Donald Trump's policy. However, he said that commodity price trends will still fluctuate. `If the supply in the destination country is high, demand will be lower and prices will fall. But if they are lacking, prices will go up,` he said. http://nasional.kontan.co.id/news/cpo-karet-diprediksi-jadi-mesin-ekspor-2017

North Sumatra Prepares an Oil Palm-Corn Cropping System Pattern

18

Feb

North Sumatra Prepares an Oil Palm-Corn Cropping System Pattern

North Sumatra notes the potential of 48 thousand hectares of plantation land to be planted with corn in alternating planting pattern. The potential [...]

North Sumatra Prepares an Oil Palm-Corn Cropping System Pattern. North Sumatra notes the potential of 48 thousand hectares of plantation land to be planted with corn in alternating planting pattern. The potential land is spread over 17 regencies. Director of the Perennial and Refreshment Crops of the Plantation Directorate General of the Ministry of Agriculture and also as the Person-in-Charge of the Special Effort of Pajale (Rice, Corn, and Soybean) of North Sumatra, Ali Jamil, said that up until mid-February, 9,000 hectares of plantation land has been integrated with corn plants. The land consists of plantation land owned by the people, the private sector, and the state. From the total of 9,000 hectares of plantation land, 200 hectares are owned by PTPN II as oil palm plantations. The first corn planting using the alternating planting system was done together with the Army Chief of Staff and the Minister of Agriculture in the oil palm area of PTPN II of the province of North Sumatra, Kodam I/BB in the Village of Tanjung Jati, in Langkat Regency. Ali said the potential of the land was included in the category of Plants that have not yet Produced (TBM), so it needs to be integrated with corn plants to give added value. With a three-month planting period, 1 hectare of land can produce 8 tons of corn. Thus, the potential of 48 thousand hectares can produce 384 thousand tons of corn in a single planting period. Technically-speaking, the integration pattern for oil palm - corn can be implemented from the initial phase of the oil plant's growth to the maximum shading limit of 70 percent or when the oil palm is more or less four years old. In addition to oil palm plantations, corn plants can be integrated with alternating planting patterns on rubber, coconut, and cashew plantations. The alternating planting pattern is deemed to be able to help increase the income of farmers since farmers will earn additional income from the alternating planting before the main crop produces. `We are encouraging private and government companies to use TBM land to support the government's program, in addition to making the company profitable. Right now, we are continuing to talk to GAPKI (the Indonesian Palm Oil Business Association),` he added. The Food Crop and Horticulture Service of North Sumatra has outlined a target to pursue the increase of the corn production target to 1.9 tons throughout this year, up from 1.6 million tons last year. The corn planting plan for October 2016 - September 2017 has a target of 292,729 hectares. In addition, the harvest target for January - December this year is at 302,922 hectares. Meanwhile, corn productivity is targeted to increase to be 6.3 tons per hectare. If this production can be achieved, North Sumatra will have a surplus of 888,292 tons of corn. Increasing the land area by utilizing the idle land owned by PTPN. Moreover, the Governor of North Sumatra, Tengku Erry Nuradi, said that there is a lot of empty land in North Sumatra that has not yet been utilized for seasonal crops or seasonal fisheries. With a three-month growing period, this integration can give added value to the farmers. `Thus, we hope the target for North Sumatra to become the country's food barn can be realized,` he said after the first planting in the Village of Tanjung Jati, Langkat Regency.
https://bisnis.tempo.co/read/news/2017/02/14/090846155/sumatera-utara-siapkan-pola-tumpang-sari-sawit-jagung

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