Indonesia intensifies palm oil cultivation for biodiesel B50

JAKARTA, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) — Indonesia is intensifying oil palm cultivation to increase crude palm oil (CPO) production as a raw material for 50 percent biodiesel (B50), said the Agriculture Ministry on Monday.
“Intensification is a faster solution compared to replanting, which can take up to three years,” said the ministry’s Acting Director General of Plantations Heru Tri Widarto.
He explained that intensification can be carried out not only on smallholder palm oil farms but also on private plantations.
With Indonesia’s oil palm plantation area reaching 16.8 million hectares, the potential to increase production significantly remains through optimized land use.
The ministry is currently conducting a study to balance the need for CPO across food, energy, and export needs, which will help define production increase targets.
According to the Indonesian Palm Oil Producers Association, CPO production reached 50.07 million tons in 2023, with domestic consumption rising due to the implementation of the B35 biodiesel policy. Plans to raise the biodiesel blend to B40 by January 2025 are in motion, along with preparations for B50 implementation. ■