Indonesia gives 5,000 scholarships for future palm oil industry talent

 Indonesia’s Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDP) is offering 5,000 scholarships this year to help develop a skilled workforce equipped with the competencies needed in the palm oil industry.

“As long as the BPDP exists, the palm oil scholarship program will continue running,” BPDP Director of Downstream Sector Fund Distribution Mohammad Alfansyah remarked during a media briefing in Jakarta 

He highlighted that the 2026 quota is the largest since the program’s inception in 2016, up from the 4,000 allocated last year.

As of 2025, the capacity-building initiative had benefited a total of 13,265 students from various regions across Indonesia, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and 42 educational institutions.

“This increase reflects our commitment to expanding access to higher education for Indonesian youth and developing high-quality human resources that will support the future growth of the palm oil industry,” Alfansyah said.

He described the scholarship program as evidence that the palm oil industry sector can make a tangible contribution to national development through education and youth empowerment.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Ministry Director of Palm Oil and Palms Iim Mucharam emphasized that the government views human resource development as a key pillar of growth for the national palm oil industry.

“Palm oil is a strategic national commodity that requires strong support from qualified human resources. It is important to prepare the next generation of plantation professionals to anticipate increasingly complex challenges facing the industry,” he said.

Mucharam added that the scholarship program serves as a strategic instrument for producing professionals capable of improving productivity, fostering innovation, and advancing sustainability in the sector.

Scholarship registration opens on June 3. Applicants can visit sdmperkebunan.bpdp.or.id for detailed information on eligibility requirements, schedules, selection procedures, and the application process.