Palm Oil to Spices: The 2023 Harvest of Indonesian Farmers

According to data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), the total area of Indonesian people's plantations reached 17.5 million hectares (ha) in 2023.

People's plantations are plantations managed independently by the community, categorized as small-scale/household businesses, and generally utilize simple technology.

In 2023, coconut oil was the most produced commodity by people's plantations, reaching 16.30 million tons. This was followed by palm kernel production at 3.26 million tons; coconuts at 2.85 million tons; and rubber at 2.43 million tons.

People's plantations also produced 1.44 million tons of sugarcane; 756.1 thousand tons of coffee; 640.7 tons of cocoa; 237 thousand tons of tobacco; and 164.1 thousand tons of cashew nuts.

Spice crops are also included in this list. A recorded 134.1 thousand tons of cloves; 70.2 thousand tons of pepper; and 43.8 thousand tons of nutmeg were produced.

Furthermore, BPS recorded no harvest from kapok, cinnamon, candlenut, betel nut, vanilla, lemongrass, and physic nut plantations throughout last year.

For information, almost all of the produce from these people's plantations falls under the category of perennial crops, except for sugarcane, tobacco, and patchouli, which are classified as seasonal crops.

(Also read: Indonesia Among the Largest Global Black Pepper Producers in 2023)