INDONESIAN palm oil stakeholders gathered at Hotel Kartika Chandra, Jakarta, Wednesday (8/5/2019), to discuss Indonesia\'s palm oil market in South Asia, Central Asia, and Middle East. The Focus Group Discussion (FGD) was held to review recent study on palm oil market conducted by the Indonesia Oil Palm Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDPKS) in collaboration with IPB University. The research study, titled "Pakistan\'s Opportunity to Become Regional Hub for Indonesia\'s Palm Oil Market Expansion in South Asia and Middle East" evaluates the key aspects for Pakistan to become regional hub for palm oil. Indonesian Ambassador for Republic of Pakistan Iwan Suyudhie Amri delivered a keynote speech, while President Director of BPDPKS Dono Boestami addressed a few remarks to the audience. The half day-long FGD also had the presence of several speakers: representatives from Economics and Management Faculty of IPB University; representatives from PwC Pakistan; Diana Chalil, a lecturer at Universitas Sumatera Utara; Togar Sitanggang, Vice Chairman of the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (Gapki). The panellists, apart from academicians, came from different backgrounds.

MINISTRY of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR) has announced biofuel Market Price Index (MPI) for period of May 2019, included for biodiesel which is set at Rp7,348 per liter and bioethanol Rp10,195 per liter.

The Indonesia Oil Palm Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDPKS) held a training on use of online application for Oil Palm Replanting (PSR Online) II in Jakarta, 1-3 May 2019.

INDONESIA and the European Union (EU) is planning to team up to share information about palm oil amid Indonesia\'s disappointment over discriminatory policy against palm oil. "For every now and then until 2021 we will work together on a joint team with the EU," Coordinating Economic Minister Darmin Nasution said as quoted by Antaranews, (2/5/2019). Darmin said the team is established in response to the European Union promise to reopen dialogue on palm oil issue in 2021.

Ten journalists participated in Journalist Fellowship Program organized by the Indonesia Oil Palm Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDPKS) visited an oil palm plantation at Motu Village, Baras, North Mamuju, West Sulawesi, Wednesday (1/5/2019). The visit to plantation managed by PT Unggul Widya Teknologi Lestari was a part of Journalist Fellowship Program to improve their knowledge and skill of news reporting about palm oil in the area of environment, health, economic impact, sustainability standard, palm oil products as well as other relevant issues. At the plantation, participants had a few practices seeding and planting oil palm.

Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto toured ITB\'s Laboratory of Chemical Reaction Engineering and Catalyst (TRK), (29/4/219), to see palm oil-based bio-hydrocarbon production process. The laboratory, which is managed by Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) under the Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Industrial Technology, has produced two products.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla has called on international community to stand united in fighting discrimination against palm oil and other trade commodities.

Palm oil is one of the world\'s most commonly used vegetable oils, present in food and consumer products, from snacks to cosmetics.

The European Union\'s policy that discriminates palm oil puts oil palm farmers and workers on brink of disaster.

INDONESIA in collaboration with ASEAN countries are preparing joint measures to respond the European Union protectionism which is considered to be a discrimination against South East Asia\'s commodities, including palm oil.

Indonesian Ambassador to the Netherlands I Gusti A.

The Government has enacted Agriculture Minister Regulation No 05 Year 2019 concerning Licensing Procedure in Agriculture Sector.