Constraints and development potential of smallholder oil palm plantations in Banten Province, Indonesia | |
| Author | Widi Hardjono |
| Call Number | AIT Diss. no.AE-04-07 |
| Subject(s) | Oil palm--Indonesia Palm oil industry--Indonesia |
| Note | A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctoral Technical Science, School of Environment, Resources and Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Dissertation ; no. AE-04-07 |
| Abstract | Oil palm is one of the leading export crops in Indonesia. In the past, oil palm was grown in several provinces in Java island of Indonesia. Now, Banten is the only oil palm producing province left in this island. In Banten province, all the smallholder oil palm plantations are involved in the Nucleus Estate of Smallholder (NBS) project and its main objective is to provide employment, cash income and food security to the people. Several studies on smallholder oil palm plantations had shown many difficulties faced by smallholders in producing oil palm. Therefore, this study was conducted with the main objective of identifying the factors responsible for declining smallholder oil palm production in Lebak and Pandeglang districts of Banten province. This study was conducted using 127l smallholder oil palm households in two districts of Lebak and Pandeglang. Data were gathered using a prc-tested questionnaire. Secondary data relevant to the study were collected from institutions involved in the NES project. The fmdings highlighted a number of issues. Smallholders as producers were recognized into two homogeneous target groups: a) farmers with small land holding, a few oil palm trees, and high family labor available but less actively engaged in oil palm production; and b) farmers who have relatively large land holdings, a large number of trees, but lacking family labor to be engaged in labor intensive oil palm production. It was revealed that, relatively small number of labor (family labor) allocated to oil palm production was one of the critical factors associated with low oil palm productivity. There was a cOnflict between the use of labor for oil palm management and food crop production, which suggested that the lack of cash earning opportunities, and the low economic incentives for oil palm production led most farmers to set priority on the production of food crops, which hampered the allocation of labor for oil palm production activities. Results also indicated that it requires higher attention on the adoption of integrated oil palm production practices than just a focus on low production constrains. This would increase profitability and efficiency of improved technologies and management practices. Specific research in this regard is scanty. It is concluded that improved technologies and management practices examined in the current study have a potential to raise on-farm oil palm productivity. However, this needs to be accompanied by a strong institutional and market reform investment programs to improve incentives to oil palm growers, and make investments in rural infrastructure, research and extension services, and better collaboration between smallholder and state—owned plantations in order to bring about the expected increases in oil palm productivity. |
| Year | 2004 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Dissertation ; no. AE-04-07 |
| Type | Dissertation |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (Former title: Department of Food Agriculture, and BioResources (DFAB)) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Agricultural and Food Engineering (AE) |
| Chairperson(s) | Ranamukhaarachchi, S.L.; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Singh, Gajendra;Salokhe, V.M.;Athapol Noomhorm;Shivakoti, Ganesh P.; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Indonesian Agency for Agricultural Research and Development; |
| Degree | Thesis (Ph.D.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2004 |