Publication Search

The plantation sector is one of the main pillars in Indonesia’s international trade. Commodities such as palm oil, rubber, coffee, and cocoa serve as leading export products that contribute significantly to the country’s foreign exchange earnings. This study aims to analyze the role of plantation commodity exports in Indonesia’s international economic performance and to identify the challenges faced. The method used is a descriptive qualitative approach through literature review from various scientific sources. The results indicate that plantation exports contribute substantially to economic growth, employment generation, and the stability of the trade balance. However, several challenges persist, including global price fluctuations, sustainability issues, and international trade barriers. Therefore, strategic policies are required to enhance the competitiveness of Indonesia’s plantation commodities in the global market.

This study aims to analyze the impact of middlemen on the price of Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB) of oil palm received by farmers in Lambur I Village, Tanjung Jabung Timur Regency, from a sharia economic perspective. This study also examines the FFB marketing patterns carried out by farmers and the factors that influence farmers in choosing where to sell their harvest. The method used is a qualitative approach with a case study research type. Data were obtained through in-depth interviews, field observations, and documentation to understand FFB marketing practices and the socio-economic relationships between farmers and middlemen. The results show that FFB marketing in Lambur I Village is carried out through three main channels: middlemen, the Marketing Chain of Trust (RAM), and palm oil processing factories. Most farmers choose to sell FFB to middlemen because the transaction process is easier, payments are fast, and transportation costs are not required. In addition, urgent financial needs, limited transportation facilities, and long-standing socio-economic relationships also influence farmers' dependence on middlemen. In practice, middlemen play a dominant role in determining prices, deducting approximately Rp 250–Rp 300 per kilogram from the factory price. From a sharia economic perspective, marketing practices through middlemen are essentially permissible as long as they are carried out with mutual consent and do not contain elements of usury, gharar, or injustice. However, the dominance of middlemen in determining prices indicates a bargaining imbalance that could potentially harm farmers, thus not fully reflecting the principle of justice in sharia economics

This study examines the role of the Lubuk Intan Village Unit Cooperative (KUD) in assisting in managing oil palm sales for smallholder farmers in Peninjau Village, Batanghari Regency. The background of this study is based on the suboptimal distribution of economic benefits to farmers, despite increasing sales through the cooperative. This situation indicates the need to strengthen the role of cooperatives in the harvest marketing system. This study used a qualitative approach with descriptive methods. Thirteen informants were interviewed: three administrators and ten members of the Lubuk Intan KUD in Peninjau Village, Batanghari Regency. The results indicate that the Lubuk Intan KUD plays a role in facilitating collective sales, providing price information, and creating certainty and transparency in the weighing and recording of harvests. This role has been able to improve marketing efficiency and member trust. However, its implementation still faces obstacles such as limited human resources, limited operational capital, and inadequate member participation.

This study aims to (1) describe the marketing channels of fresh fruit bunches (FFB) of oil palm under partnership and independent (self-managed) schemes in Merlung District, Tanjung Jabung Barat Regency; (2) analyze marketing margins, farmer’s share, and marketing efficiency for each scheme; and (3) compare differences in marketing margins and farmer’s share between single-level marketing channels in both business schemes. The research was conducted in 2025 using a survey method with simple random sampling techniques. The data used consisted of primary data obtained through direct interviews with farmers and marketing institutions, as well as secondary data from relevant agencies. Data analysis was carried out using descriptive analysis, marketing margin analysis, farmer’s share, marketing efficiency analysis, and Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA). The results show that there are two types of marketing channel patterns, namely single-level and two-level channels. The single-level marketing channel has lower marketing margins, higher farmer’s share, and better marketing efficiency. In addition, there are significant differences between single-level marketing channels in both business schemes. These findings imply that shorter marketing channels are more efficient and provide a greater share of the selling price to smallholder oil palm farmers

Independent plantations are a favorite in the Jambi Regional economy, as they are a source of economic growth, employment, exports, and foreign exchange for the region. Despite their relatively low productivity, oil palm plantations in Jambi Province have a major competitive advantage compared to other commodities. This study aims to describe, analyze competitiveness, analyze policy impacts, and conduct sensitivity tests on independent oil palm plantations. The research location was in Merlung District, selecting three sample villages: Tanjung Paku Village, Merlung Village, and Lubuk Terap Village purposively, with a total sample of 43 farmers. The data analysis method used the (PAM) method. The results of the analysis show that independent farmers still have relatively low productivity. The DRCR value is 0.379 (<1) and the PCR value is 0.368 (<1) which indicates savings in the use of domestic resources by 37.9% and 36.8%. These results indicate a comparative and competitive advantage. The divergence impact shows a negative impact, meaning that government policies are not distorted properly, as indicated by an NPCI value of 1.18 (> 1) and an NPCO value of 0.87 (< 1). Sensitivity tests show that independent oil palm plantations still have competitiveness (< 1), despite experiencing policy distortions such as input price increases (11% and 25%) and a decrease in FFB prices (45%).  

This study examines the development of a Crude Palm Oil (CPO) price forecasting model using an artificial neural network algorithm, specifically the backpropagation algorithm. As one of Indonesia’s main export commodities, CPO has a significant economic impact and influences the income of oil palm farmers. The CPO price data used in this study were obtained from CIF Rotterdam, covering the period from January 2019 to December 2023. The research methodology consists of several stages, including data collection, preprocessing, model design, and model implementation using Python programming. The training results of the backpropagation algorithm show an error value of 0.537829578 after 1,000 epochs, while the evaluation using Mean Squared Error (MSE) indicates an MSE of 0.022709 during the training process and 0.017604 during the testing process. The model also produces CPO price predictions for the next three months, namely 932.578 for the first month, 949.568 for the second month, and 774.855 for the third month. These findings indicate that the developed model is capable of predicting future CPO prices with adequate accuracy, which can assist companies in making better financial decisions and managing risks associated with CPO price fluctuations.