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Palm oil corporation Musim Mas has released four new palm oil varieties with potential yields of more than ten tons of total oil per hectare. This yield is said to be “nearly three times higher than the industry average,” which stands at 3.25 tons of oil per hectare. The result of eleven years of non-GMO genetic research, the new seed varieties can potentially yield fruiting palms within 25 months, contrasting to the industry average of 30 months. Musim Mas invests in genetic and agronomic research to improve yields without increasing planted areas. To help smallholder farmers improve and achieve better yields and livelihoods, Musim Mas will also provide these new seed varieties to smallholder farmers it supports through the ‘Kredit Koperasi Primer Anggota’ (KKPA) programme. The new seeds (GS1, GS2, GS3 and GS4) are of the dura x pisifera (DxP) variety and have been approved by the Indonesian government's assessment body for plantation varieties. Musim Mas says that the seeds were developed four years faster than typical breeding programmes. Musim Mas’ director of strategy and planning, TK Lim, said: "At Musim Mas, our strategy is to increase our production through improved yields and not land expansion. This ideology is a key part of how we see our role as a responsible palm oil producer. With the world's population expected to cross 9 billion by 2050, we hope the Musim Mas GS series will play a valuable role towards improved yields in the long term." The GS Series has the potential to yield oil palms with longer stalks, making harvesting easier as well as yielding bigger fruitlets and providing “excellent” palm oil extraction rates of 30%.