Indonesia's Palm Oil Exporters Told to Prioritize Domestic Demand

Indonesia's palm oil industry is under scrutiny as Deputy Chair of House Commission VII Evita Nursanty urged exporters to prioritize domestic cooking oil demand before focusing on overseas markets. The country has a significant capacity for producing value-added products and penetrating international markets, according to Nursanty.

Nursanty visited PT Berkah Emas Sumber Terang (BEST) in Semarang to assess the industry's progress and address concerns about cooking oil shortages. She noted that Central Java's cooking oil consumption reached 566 tons per day, highlighting the need for domestic supply to meet demand.

Industry Ministry Expert Staff Andi Rizaldi stated that Indonesia produced 24.45 million kiloliters of palm-based cooking oil in 2025, with national demand standing at 5.9 million kiloliters or about 25 percent of total production. Exports reached 14.24 million kiloliters in the same year.