Indonesia's Rubber Farmers Call for State Support Inspired by Soeharto Era

Irfan Ahmad Fauzi, chairman of the Association of Indonesian Rubber Farmers (APKARINDO), said rubber is more than an export commodity; it is the main source of livelihood for millions of rural families in Sumatra and Kalimantan. He argued that during President Soeharto’s rule the government integrated smallholder rubber farms into national development through programmes such as the Nucleus Estate and Smallholder (NES/PIR), the Project for Renewal, Rehabilitation and Expansion of Export Plantations (PRPTE), the Smallholder Rubber Development Project (SRDP), credit schemes, extension services, cooperatives and market linkages.

Fauzi urged the state to revive a similarly strong, long‑term policy framework today, stressing that revitalising old trees, using superior clones, improving cultivation techniques, strengthening extension, ensuring financing, enhancing processing quality and coordinating marketing must all be pursued together. He noted that such an integrated approach historically also spurred infrastructure, education, health services and trade in rural areas, further supporting village economies.