KISARAN: PT Bakrie Sumatera Plantation Tbk, an Indonesia-based rubber and palm plantation company, establishes Bakrie Agriculture Research Institute spending US$1.5 million fund in Kisaran, North Sumatra.Research activity is expensive. Thats why the activity should be implemented by the government. But, we have to take over the duty as our vertical integration, Commissionaire Bungaran Saragih.Previously, PT Bakrie Sumatera Plantation Tbk was named NV Hollands Americaansche Plantage Maatschappij or NV HAPM located in Kisaran, Asahaan Regency, North Sumatra.An export duty of crude palm oil should become a research material by the government. Research can promote a company including its business, Agricultural Minister at Mutual Assistance Cabinet (Kabinet Gotong Royong).Meanwhile, PT Bakrie Sumatera Plantation Tbk President Director Ambono Janurianto assessed the research institute can be a stepping stone to be a better company.According to him, by implementing the research, production cost could be overcome. Today, the company has controlled plantation area of 144,000 hectare consisting of 25% for rubber and the remaining for palm. Previously, the production cost was under by US$150 per hectare. Now, the production cost has soared doubled and keeps growing, he said.Therefore, the institute will be commercialized for third party. Perhaps, there are companies that need price estimation or pest issue. They can benefit our research data from this institute. So, the institutes output must be larger than investment, he said.In the meantime, the institute has hired 15 researchers and 7 lab staffs, informed by PT Bakrie Sumatera Plantation Tbk Director Howard J Sargeant.So far, the company has been cooperated with a France-based research agency having 800 researchers with 200 million euro cost and Palm Research Center.The plantation company will pay great attention for research. Yes, we are serious on it. But, we have no experience yet, he asserted.(t01/msw)

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