Association Views BPDP as Contributing to the Development of National Palm Oil Human Resources

The development of human resources (HR) is the main key to the sustainable growth of the national palm oil industry. The General Chairman of the Indonesian Palm Oil Farmers Association (Apkasindo), Gulat ME Manurung, stated that the Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDP) has a strategic role in improving the quality of HR in the national palm oil sector.

He explained that various BPDP programmes, whether in the form of palm oil scholarships or training for farmers, have made positive contributions to the advancement of the palm oil industry. “I see that one of the key words to the success of Indonesian palm oil up to now is the support from BPDP, especially in the HR sector,” said Gulat in a press release in Jakarta on Thursday (9/4/2026).

Based on BPDP data, as many as 29,263 training participants and 13,265 education or scholarship programme participants have joined the palm oil HR development programme up to 2025. Of the total scholarship recipients, 3,910 students have graduated from various universities collaborating with BPDP.

The palm oil HR development programme involves 42 universities with a total of 900 training classes conducted in various palm oil plantation centre areas. The programme covers 21 provinces in Indonesia that are the main areas for palm oil plantations.

According to Gulat, the various BPDP programmes focused on HR development are becoming more directed and on target. The implementation of these programmes is realised through technical training and education as well as support for research and the provision of scholarships in the palm oil field.