Indonesian farmers hit by palm oil export ban, imposed to curb shortage

Indonesian President Joko Widodo, known as Jokowi, widened a ban on palm oil exports on April 28, 2022, days after announcing a partial ban to curb domestic cooking oil shortage and food inflation. Owners of small plantations in the town of Kampar, Riau province, began feeling the brunt of the export ban even before it took effect. One farmer said that the ban has led to a drop in palm fruit prices, forcing farmers to cut fertiliser use and further reducing palm fruit production.