Economic Analysis of Agroforestry of Meranti (Shorea leprosula Miq) Planted Among Oil Palm Trees as a Model for Development of Environmentally Friendly Oil Palm Plantation in The Riau Province, Indonesia

Robin Takaweian, Almasdi Syahza, Usman Pato, Mubarak

Abstract: The growth of oil palm plantations in Riau Province is a great opportunity to optimize the use of space and land by inserting meranti (S. leprosula) tree among the palm oil plants. The study was aimed to economic analyze the agroforestry of meranti planted among the oil palm trees as a model for development of oil palm plantations. This research was carried out in a mixed meranti-palm oil plantation privately owned by a farmer at the Village of Pasir Jaya, Sub-district of Rambah Hilir, Rokan Hulu Regency, Riau Province, Indonesia. The surveys and structured interviews were used to identify the management of oil palm plantations owned by the community. Economic valuation approach was used to determine the economic analysis of the management of oil palm plantations owned by the community. The results of study showed that agroforestry of meranti planted among the palm oil plants were able to provide additional benefits revealed from the economic value of meranti tree as Bank of Replanting of IDR.56, 017, 737. The value of BCR of this agroforestry system was greater than the value of BCR on the monoculture system of about 3.1 compared to 2.7. The development model of this agroforestry system is economically feasible and beneficial and can also be implemented on a broader scale of oil palm plantations both in main estate and plasma estate.

Keywords: Palm oil plantation, agroforestry, Shorea leprosula, environmentally friendly