REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, MEDAN -- Head of Environmental Research of the Indonesia's Palm Oil Producers Association (Gapki) Bandung Sahari asked the government to prevent forest fires because hot spots data are available and freely accessible.
He said, the location of hot spots tend to remain the same.
"The government can analyze what the cause of the fire," he said, Sunday (22/5).
He continued, Gapki not want repetition of big incidents like forest fires that occurred in 2015, which caused severe smog in some provinces.
Gapki also rejected the assumption that oil palm plantations that stand on peat soils is a major cause the flames.
"We believe that every oil company is already implementing water arrangement so the peatlands are not dry. In fact, the fire also occurred in the mineral soil," Bandung said.
Professor in the Faculty of Agriculture of North Sumatra Erwin Harahap said same statement with Bandung.
"Palm oil is actually conservation plant," he said.
Based on the results of his research, palm oil can restore the function of previously infertile land become productive again.
"So do not blame any oil palm plantations, whose presence had positive impact for the society," he added.
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