Antam Saves 35 Acres of Sleeping Land Around Pongkor Mine

PT Aneka Tambang Tbk (ANTM) is developing a circular agriculture mode in Kalongliud Village in Nanggung District, Bogor Regency.

For your information, this village is around the Pongkor gold mine.

Antam Corporate Secretary Wisnu Danandi Haryanto said, this village had experienced natural disasters and economic pressures came almost simultaneously. In 2020, floods and landslides damaged the village's irrigation network thoroughly. Around 150 hectares of agricultural land experienced drought, while dozens of farmers and hundreds of agricultural workers lost their livelihood stability.

"These conditions are exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic which suppresses people's economic activities. Villages face a double crisis risk: threats to food security and household economic pressures," he said in a statement to the media, Monday, February 23.

Over time, he continued, some agricultural land gradually became sleeping land, creating a serious challenge for the sustainability of the village. From this situation, an initiative called Garitan Kalongliud was born.

He added that the program initiated by the Gold Mining Business Unit (UBPE) Pongkor Antam together with the village community was designed not only as social assistance, but as an integrated circular agriculture model.

"This approach prioritizes the utilization of idle land, water resource efficiency, waste management, and strengthening the institutional capacity of community-based farmers," he continued.

Wisnu added that as much as 35 hectares of sleeping land had been restored to productive land. Local waste, including sheep manure, is processed into organic fertilizer. About 25 tons of sheep manure waste is used in the cultivation system, so that it is able to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers by up to 50 percent.

In terms of water resource management, the implementation of the drip irrigation system has brought significant impacts. This technology increases water consumption efficiency by 60 percent, a crucial achievement for an area that previously experienced water resource pressure.

"Efforts to restore the environment are also strengthened through the planting of 3,000 trees on the border of the Cinyurug River, which contributes to a reduction in carbon emissions of 21.5 tons of CO₂eq per growing season," explained Wisnu.

The economic impact of the program is beginning to be felt directly by the community with an increase in farmers' group income of up to 65 percent, while fertilizer costs decreased by about 50 percent.

In the 2024-2025 chili cultivation period, business activities recorded a profit of Rp. 246,258,000. The evaluation based on Social Return on Investment (SROI) showed a value of 4.34, which means that every one rupiah of investment generates more than four rupiah of social benefits.

"Transformations in Kalongliud not only occur in the production aspect, but also in the social and economic structure of the village. Before the program started, farmers tended to work individually and depend on middlemen. Production costs are relatively high, while attacks by snail pests often damage cultivation land," he continued.

Wisnu said, the Garitan Kalongliud Program also reaches vulnerable groups. There are 869 direct beneficiaries and 9,874 indirect beneficiaries. A total of 68 individuals from vulnerable groups including agricultural workers, the elderly, children, pre-prosperous families, to former illegal miners are actively involved in the village economy system. The Community Satisfaction Index for this program reached 90.82 percent.

The success of the program is inseparable from the role of local heroes. Kang Wahyu is known as the main driver at the village level, who together with the community encourages the adoption of agricultural innovations and the strengthening of community collaboration. The Learning House Garitan which was built in the village is now developing as a learning center, has been visited by more than 696 local and national visitors, and has become a model that is beginning to be replicated in other villages.

Wisnu said that Garitan Kalongliud reflects a sustainable approach that integrates environmental, economic, and social aspects in a holistic manner.

"The Garitan Kalongliud program shows that sustainability is not only related to environmental aspects, but also includes economic strengthening and social resilience. Antam believes that an ecosystem-based approach is capable of creating a wider and sustainable impact for the community," said Wisnu.