Jakarta. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo inaugurated a pilot plant for red cooking oil in Deli Serdang Regency, North Sumatra, on Thursday, as part of his efforts to promote domestic industrialization of raw materials.

During the inauguration, Jokowi highlighted Indonesia's vast palm oil plantations, totaling 15.3 million hectares, with 6.2 million hectares owned by farmers.

"We aim to enhance the value-added processing within the country. Hence, the establishment of this red cooking oil plant marks a significant step forward. We anticipate it will provide substantial benefits to palm oil farmers, particularly those involved in cooperatives. By processing everything into finished products, such as red cooking oil, we aim to stabilize the price of Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB)," explained Jokowi during his speech, which was broadcasted via the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube channel.

Expressing his satisfaction with the red cooking oil plant, Jokowi emphasized its competitive pricing compared to conventional cooking oil in the market. Additionally, he underscored the nutritional richness of red cooking oil, which retains essential vitamins like A and E even after processing.

"This product stands poised to compete effectively in the market. I'm also pleased to note that its nutritional content remains intact, as endorsed by several chefs who have found it to be tastier and nutritionally superior. Therefore, I encourage everyone present here to embrace its usage," elaborated Jokowi.

Furthermore, Jokowi emphasized the importance of shifting towards finished products like red cooking oil, rather than solely relying on the export of raw materials like crude palm oil (CPO), to drive industrial growth.

In continuation of his itinerary, President Jokowi, accompanied by the first lady, Iriana, will proceed to Tanjungbalai City via a Super Puma helicopter provided by the Indonesian Air Force. Their schedule includes a visit to Kawat Market and the inauguration of several local roads in North Sumatra Province.