business

BPDPKS-Aspekpir Introducing UKMK Sawit Products In Mataram

To introduce various UKMK Sawit products, the Palm Oil Plantation Fund Management Agency collaborated with Aspekpir Indonesia to hold a UKMK Sawit Workshop in Mataram, Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. The event, themed "Introducing UKMK Palm Oil-Based Products for Tourism Industry Players," aims to provide education about various palm oil-based UKMK products that can support the tourism industry. Head of the Small and Medium Enterprises and Cooperatives Division at BPDPKS, Helmi Muhansyah, said that palm oil products are not only focused on producing areas. Many of the products currently used are made from palm oil commodities. "Including here in Mataram, where there are no palm trees, but our daily lives are inseparable from palm oil," he said in his welcoming speech. He explained that palm oil products include not only cooking oil but also toothpaste, bio avtur for aircraft fuel, creamer, biodiesel, and several other products. NTB, as a tourist destination, is recognized as an appropriate target for promoting palm oil products. The promotion of palm oil products is said to be more effective due to the level of tourist visits to NTB. "When we talk about palm oil, we are not only talking about palm-producing areas such as Riau, North Sumatra, and Kalimantan, but the entire Indonesia. Because all of our people use palm oil," he said. Head of the NTB Provincial Trade Office, Baiq Nelly Yuniarti, acknowledged that the potential of palm oil-based UKMK is something new, so through the workshop, she hopes for potential cooperation between Aspekpir Indonesia and local UKMK players in the NTB Province.

He explained that the NTB Provincial Trade Service (Disdag) continues to collaborate with various parties to develop Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in NTB, from quality and quantity to marketing of the products produced.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Aspekpir Indonesia, Rusman Heriawan, explained that Aspekpir Indonesia, as one of the largest palm oil farmer associations in Indonesia, along with its partners, has a variety of palm oil-based MSME products that are suitable for collaboration with the tourism industry.

These products include various palm leaf craft products, palm sugar, palm batik, organic fertilizers, animal feed, various food products, and beauty products. "Aspekpir farmers rarely expand their knowledge downstream, but now Aspekpir is more open," he said.

The former Deputy Minister of Agriculture for the 2011-2014 period explained that Aspekpir Indonesia is now more open by looking at opportunities in the downstream sector. Collaboration between BPDPKS and Aspekpir Indonesia is crucial to enhance the knowledge of palm oil farmers.

He explained that campaigns for palm oil and its various derivative products are crucial to be carried out even in non-palm-producing areas, including in West Nusa Tenggara. "This is to increase understanding of the benefits of palm oil and its derivatives," he said.

Currently, Aspekpir Indonesia is preparing a memorandum of understanding with several tourism industry players in Lombok such as hotels and restaurants regarding the utilization of palm oil-based MSME products from Aspekpir members and partners.

---

Tag: BPDPKS Mataram MSMEs NTB UKMK Sawit