The sizeable plantation area is now becoming a focus of the Pekanbaru municipal government as it prepares a Regional Action Plan for Sustainable Palm Oil, or Rencana Aksi Daerah Kelapa Sawit Berkelanjutan (RAD-KSB). The initiative is intended to ensure that the development of the palm oil sector contributes to long-term economic growth while maintaining environmental sustainability. Pekanbaru Deputy Mayor Markarius Anwar said the city's estimated 24,000 hectares of oil palm plantations represented an important economic asset for both the regional economy and local communities. Markarius made the statement while opening a RAD-KSB socialization event organized by the Pekanbaru Agriculture and Fisheries Agency at Hotel Pangeran Pekanbaru on Wednesday, September 30, 2026. Balancing Palm Oil Production and Environmental Protection According to Markarius, Pekanbaru's palm oil potential needs to be managed carefully so that economic development does not come at the expense of environmental protection. The RAD-KSB is expected to provide a common framework for the government, smallholders, businesses and other stakeholders involved in the city's palm oil sector. The document is intended to guide future palm oil development programs so that the sector can become more productive, better organized and increasingly sustainable. “The considerable plantation potential must be managed in a balanced way. Economic growth should not come at the expense of environmental sustainability,” Markarius said. Pekanbaru Agriculture and Fisheries Agency Head Maisisco said sustainable palm oil development should not be viewed solely through the lens of production and farmers' income. Land governance, legal status, environmental protection, productivity and community welfare, he said, are all interconnected elements of sustainable plantation development. Productivity Gains Without New Land Clearing Maisisco noted that Riau remains one of Indonesia's major palm oil-producing regions. In 2025, the province's CPO production was recorded at around 9.46 million tonnes. Meanwhile, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) Riau data showed that smallholder oil palm production reached approximately 5.58 million tonnes in 2024. Against this backdrop, the local government is promoting productivity improvements through intensification and plantation rejuvenation on land that is already available. Such an approach is expected to increase production without requiring additional land clearing. For Pekanbaru, the RAD-KSB is therefore positioned not only as a policy document but also as a framework for aligning economic development with land management and environmental considerations. The city government hopes that sustainable palm oil development can strengthen the plantation sector's contribution to the local economy while maintaining the environmental carrying capacity of existing plantation areas.