Indragiri Hilir is the largest coconut producing district in Riau Province and Indonesia. Coconuts from the area are distributed to the coconut industry around the region, and some have been exported to Malaysia and Thailand. The high demand for coconut products from the global market and low coconut production have prompted local and central governments to urgently take action plans to increase coconut production and improve farmers' livelihoods through the production of high-value-added products.
As a continuation of the official visit of the Executive Director, Dr. Jelfina C. Alouw, and the ICC Market and Statistics Officer, Mr. Alit Pirmansah to Riau to attend the Forum Group Discussion (FGD), the ICC and provincial teams and the associations of Indonesian Agricultural Scholars visited Tembilahan, the capital of Indragiri Hilir to see the potential of coconut development, challenges, and possible strategies to address some of the problems. The team was warmly welcomed by the regent and his team. After a fruitful discussion, we visited a coconut nursery run by a farmer group that produces thousands of certified seeds each year. One coconut variety named Sri Gemilang has been officially released as a national superior variety that is adaptive to tidal areas. Some local superior varieties have been propagated. However, there is still an urgent need to accelerate the availability of desired seeds for senile coconut replanting programs in the region and nationally. Implementation of good agricultural practices and intercrops planting in the area is also recommended.
We also visited several MSMEs that produce white copra and one company that is just starting to utilize coconut fiber for sleeping mattresses and further produces coconut husk-based furniture. Coconut husks are used by local people as land cover due to the intrusion of seawater to land. Large amounts of the remaining coir have not been processed into coconut fiber, peat and other products that can be marketed and profitable. During a meeting with the general manager of Bigland, one of the large companies that produce spring beds in Indonesia and now processes beds using cocofiber, we were informed of their plans to buy coconut fiber from a farmer group in Indragiri Hilir as material for furniture. This plan could add value to coconuts and potentially increase farmers' incomes.
The central government through President Joko Widodo, and the Minister of Agriculture, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment have shown their interest in supporting sustainable coconut development in Indonesia. From Indragiri Hilir, Riau, Indonesia to the world. This is the local government's motto for coconut development in their region.