The Collaboration between UKM Center FEB UI and BPDPKS together with Antakusuma University, West Kotawaringin Regency Government Targets Strengthening Promotion of Indonesian Palm Oil Image
DEPOK – (11/9/2021) Plantation is one of the mainstay sectors of West Kotawaringin Regency. Currently, the plantation sector contributes 19.07 percent of the total Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP). The plantation sector also supported 14,225 farmer households in West Kotawaringin Regency in 2020. To ensure the sustainability of plantation products in the future, efforts to empower palm oil SMEs need to be carried out and supported by the parties involved.
The Palm Oil Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDPKS) has synergized with the UKM Center FEB UI since 2020 through the Program for Institutional Strengthening and Empowerment of Palm Oil SMEs under the guidance of BPDPKS. On Saturday (11/. 9/2021), BPDPKS and the UKM Center FEB UI once again empower plantation farmers through an online Workshop on the Oil Palm SMEs Empowerment Program in the Framework of Strengthening the Promotion of Indonesian Palm Oil Image. This was conducted in order to continue the activities that have been successfully carried out in three different provinces last year.
Edi Wibowo, Acting Director for Partnership of BPDPKS, conveyed in his speech the Workshop on Building Tough Oil Palm SMEs through Increasing Business Capacity, which is also a series of activities of the Palm Oil UKMK Empowerment Program in the Framework of Strengthening the Promotion of Indonesian Palm Oil Image, in collaboration with the UKM Center of the Faculty of Business Economics, Universitas Indonesia is also expected to help encourage increased knowledge and a better understanding of the palm oil industry for independent smallholders. This seeks to improve the welfare of independent oil palm smallholders, whilst also improving positive perceptions of palm oil.
The target to be achieved in the hybrid workshop (online and offline) is to increase the capacity of farmers and SME participants through product introduction and business matching, Digital Marketing training, packaging and labeling training, as well as financial systems planning and calculations using the Financial Information Recording Application Information System. (SI APIK). Strengthening the promotion of the palm oil industry through SMEs in Pangkalan Bun, Kotawaringin Barat Regency, Central Kalimantan Province, overseeing activities guided by speakers from experts in the field of SMEs and Community Economics, academics and digital marketing strategists.
“The training workshop held today is a concrete implementation of a series of mentoring programs for Palm Oil Small and Medium Enterprises to demonstrate the important role of palm oil in improving people’s living standards as well as encouraging regional economic growth. The output of this program is documentation in the form of a book and will be disseminated to a wide audience so that it can become an example and model for replication and development in other regions and other sectors. We also thank Antakusuma University for its cooperation in implementing its mentoring program and are ready to synergize with local universities in the future.” said Zakir Machmud, Head of the UKM Center, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Indonesia in his speech.
Also conveyed by Jeffrie Wattimena, Chancellor of Antakusuma University expressed his gratitude for the involvement of academics in West Kotawaringin Regency in the assistance program for Palm Oil SMEs and hopes to further strengthen cooperation between the UKM Center, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Indonesia and Antakusuma University in other programs in the future.
The workshop on strengthening the promotion of palm oil image was attended by 20 participants of Palm Oil SMEs. In addition, this activity was also supported by the BPDPKS team, the UKM Center FEB UI, the Antakusuma University team, and the West Kotawaringin Regency Government.
“The synergy between farmers and experts in developing farmer capacity and promoting the image of oil palm in West Kotawaringin Regency is expected to increase and trigger the ability of farmers to continue to innovate in marketing products digitally and physically. There is a lot of new knowledge gained by the people’s economy today, ranging from digital sales procedures to calculating economic assets through applications. The benefits and positive impacts of this online workshop will be felt by farmers and other colleagues.” said Widodo, one of the speakers and administrator of the Indonesian Oil Palm Farmers Association (APKASINDO) West Kotawaringin Regency.
Participants across each sub-district covering 4 sub-districts attended to gain knowledge. “Hopefully the knowledge gained today can be useful in product sales. We will continue to take part in widely introducing palm oil.” said Wulan, one of the farmers and SME players who participated in the workshop.
Denny Sumarna, as the workshop resource person, after the hybrid workshop expressed his gratitude to the UKM Center FEB UI and BPDPKS for the successful hybrid workshop held in Kotawaringin Barat Regency.
Hj. Nurhiddayah, S.H., M.H., West Kotawaringin Regent, emphasized that sustainable farmer capacity building is important to realize the welfare of the community, especially for palm oil SMEs. “This is not the first time the BPDPKS team, the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia and the SME Center FEB UI have held empowerment activities for Palm Oil SMEs in Pangkalan Bun. We are very grateful because this year’s event also involved Antakusuma University as the SME facilitator at the mentoring location. Hopefully this synergy can continue to be carried out in a sustainable manner in the future, especially in West Kotawaringin Regency.” he continued.
Previously, an online Training of Trainers (TOT) was held on June 29 – July 1, 2021 to provide understanding to facilitators and assistants regarding understanding and deepening of oil palm SME business practices.
“Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI) is ready to help and cooperate with SME players who are present today through individual discussions so that they can awaken small and medium businesses in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic situation so that they can survive and be empowered to be sustainable. ),” said Yuddy Tresna Fadias.
“Progress in promoting agricultural and plantation products, especially palm oil, is highly dependent on synergistic cooperation between the government, the business world, oil palm production actors or farmers, academics and the wider community. Thus, it is not only the capacity of farmers and planters in doing business that will increase, but also their ability to manage the SME economy.” concluded Adi Martono.
The contact person for the Palm Oil Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDPKS) is Helmi Muhansyah, Head of the Small and Medium Enterprises and Cooperatives Division of BPDPKS. Email: helmi.muhansah@bpdp.or.id
The contact person for the UKM Center, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Indonesia is Fahnia Chairawaty, Head of the UKM Center Training and Assistance Division, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Indonesia. Email: sayya.chaira@gmail.com
Antakusuma University Contact Person Brian L. Djumaty, Head of the Development Studies Program, Faculty of Economics, Antakusuma University. Email: brian.djumaty@gmail.com
Organization or Project Description:
“BPDP-KS Assisted Palm Oil SMEs Empowerment Program in the Context of Strengthening the Promotion of Indonesian Palm Oil Image” is a program to increase the capacity of BPDP-KS assisted Palm Oil SMEs, especially in terms of strengthening promotion and financial management by encouraging palm oil SMEs to utilize digital technology. This program is implemented in a series of activities in 2021. This program is a continuation of the activities in the previous year in terms of institutional strengthening and assistance for BPDP-KS Palm Oil SMEs, in collaboration with the UKM Center, Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), Universitas Indonesia (UI). ). To ensure the capacity building of the oil palm SMEs participating in this activity, this year’s UKM Center FEB UI will focus on types of activities on intensive training and mentoring. The training and assistance will be focused on two main aspects, namely finance (finance) and marketing (marketing) with support or technology-based (digital). In addition to these three aspects, legality or institutional aspects will also be a supporting aspect to realize the capacity building of SMEs. It is hoped that the fulfillment of the institutional format or legality by SMEs will be a bridge to accelerate the increase in business capacity of oil palm SMEs. Thus, to achieve this, UKMC FEB UI carries out activities through four interrelated components, namely: 1) Advocacy or assistance related to legality or SME institutions; 2) Capacity building and assistance related to financial aspects; 3) Capacity building and assistance related to marketing (promotion) aspects; and 4) Technology literacy (digital) to support marketing (promotion) and financial activities.
(am)