History of Palm Oil Plants in Indonesia

Palm Gardens 

Plant oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) originated from west Africa, is a major producer of edible oil crops that have higher productivity than other vegetable oil crops. Oil palm was first introduced in Indonesia by the Dutch government in 1848. Currently there are 4 sticks oil palm seedlings grown in the Bogor Botanical Garden (Botanical Garden) Bogor, two are from Bourbon (Mauritius) and the other two of the Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam (The Netherlands). Initially the plant oil palm cultivated as an ornamental plant, while the cultivation of crops for commercial purposes started in 1911.

The pioneering efforts of oil palm plantations in Indonesia are Adrien Hallet (Belgian), then followed by cultivation does K.Schadt which marks the birth of the oil palm plantations in Indonesia began to grow. The first oil palm plantation is located on the East Coast of Sumatra (Deli) and Aceh. Plantation area reached 5123 ha.

During the Dutch occupation, oil palm plantations could move forward rapidly to the dominance of the African country's exports. Entering the Japanese occupation, the development of palm oil declined. Plantation area shrinkage of 16% of the total land area that is so sawitpun oil production in Indonesia reached only 56,000 tons in 1948/1949, in the case in 1940, Indonesia exported 250,000 tons of palm oil.

In 1957, after the Netherlands and Japan to leave Indonesia, the government took over the estate (with the political and security reasons). To secure the production, the government put the military officers at every level manejemen plantations. The Government also set up a pregnant woman (Labour Military) which is a collaboration between estate workers and the military. Manejemen changes in oil and the political and social conditions of domestic security that are not conducive, causing decreased production of palm oil and the position of Indonesia as the world's largest supplier of palm oil displaced by Malaysia.

In the reign of the New Order, directed the establishment of plantations in order to create opportunities Genesis, to improve the welfare of society and sectors of the State foreign exchange earner. The Government continues to encourage the opening of new land for plantations. Until in 1980, reaching 294 560 hectares of land with production of CPO (Crude Palm Oil) at 721 172 tonnes. Since then the Indonesian oil palm plantation grown particularly rapidly. This is supported by government policies that implement the program Nucleus Estate Company (PIR - BUN).

The area of ​​oil palm plantations continue to expand rapidly in Indonesia. This demonstrates the growing demand for processed products. Exports of palm oil (CPO) Indonesia, among others, to the Netherlands, India, China, Malaysia and Germany, while for palm kernel oil (PKO) are widely exported to the Netherlands, the United States and Brazil.