April, 2026
Enhance Capacity of Oil Palm Smallholders
Challenge
Independent oil palm smallholders in Mendawak operate with little support. They are not affiliated with any concession companies, so grow oil palm independently and sell fresh fruit bunches from oil palm trees to collectors. They are not legally registered so cannot access government extension services for smallholders. The Kubu Raya Plantation and Livestock Office (Dinas Perkebunan dan Peternakan) has tried to encourage oil palm smallholders to register their smallholdings so they can obtain Cultivation Business Registration Certificates (Surat Tanda Daftar Budidaya /STDB). This would legalise their smallholdings and allow them to access government support, but take-up has been low. The government will make registration with its palm oil certification body, Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil, mandatory for smallholders in 2026. It’s hard to see how smallholders in Mendawak will meet that target.
Solution
In the village of Sumber Agung, Sangga Bumi Lestari set up clinics, offering technical expertise and guidance to farmers that want to register their smallholder plots to obtain STDB, if they brought the necessary documents and worked with Sangga Bumi Lestari on any mapping or verification needs.
Progress
Sangga Bumi Lestari’s approach proved successful. Up to April 2026, 243 smallholder plots belonging to 72 smallholders have been registered.
The collaborative way this was achieved will now be replicated by the Kubu Raya Plantation and Livestock Office in other villages throughout Kubu Raya.
Sangga Bumi Lestari is now working with the 72 smallholder farmers to identify if they want to establish more formal relationships with nearby oil palm concession companies, to which they could sell fresh fruit bunches directly and who could potentially provide financial support for ISPO certification and other smallholder development programmes.
