Aceh palm oil exported

JAKARTA (JP): The northern Sumatran province of Aceh has exported palm oil products to Europe and Latin America.

The divisional head of Aceh's Trade and Industry Agency, Cut Hananan, said over the weekend 20.22 tons of palm oil products worth Rp 21.30 billion (US$8.80 million) had been exported so far.

She said about 13.50 tons of palm oil worth Rp 14.16 billion went to Spain, 6.49 tons worth Rp 6.19 billion to Latin America, and 6,499 worth Rp 215,170 to France.

"Palm oil is a new export commodity for Aceh, and it is expected to become the province's major foreign exchange earner in the future," Hananan was quoted by Antara as saying, adding that the number of oil palm plantation increases yearly.

Aceh has 151,903 hectare of oil palm plantations, 119,757 hectares of which are owned by large plantation companies and the remaining 32,146 hectare by farmers and small firms.

Aceh produced about 228,000 tons of palm oil, 87,784 tons of oil palm clusters and 49,623 tons of palm kernel a year, he said.

There are 13 processing plants in Aceh with a processing capacity of between 30 and 60 clusters an hour.

The province still needed 10 more plants, the official said. (02)