Indonesia advances palm oil industry expertise through education and training

Efforts to enhance human resource quality and productivity in Indonesia's palm oil sector are advancing through new academic programs and technical field training.

At the Institut Teknologi Sawit Indonesia (ITSI), a new Master's program in Agricultural Socio-Economics has launched. Arya Sandhiyudha, Director of Institutional Relations at PTPN IV PalmCo, has enrolled as the inaugural student for the 2026/2027 academic year. The program aims to address multi-dimensional challenges in the industry, ranging from agronomy to socio-economic issues, using a hybrid learning model that combines academic theory with industry practice.

Simultaneously, technical capacity building is being provided to smallholders in East Kalimantan. Supported by the Palm Oil Fund Management Agency (BPDP) and the Directorate General of Plantations, 150 palm oil farmers from Paser Regency participated in a field trip to PT Sukses Tani Nusasubur, a subsidiary of Astra Agro Lestari. The training, organized by the Yogyakarta Plantation Community Academy (AKPY), focused on practical cultivation techniques including nursery management, planting, and maintenance to help farmers bridge the productivity gap between small-scale operations and corporate standards.