Pekalongan Farmers Save Operational Costs Of Up To 80 Percent With Electrifying Agriculture

PLN officers together with village farmers Klunjukkan, Pekalongan carried out an Electrifying Agriculture program (Photo: PLN)

PT PLN (Persero) has again presented an Electrifying Agriculture (EA) program for farmers in Klunjukan Village, Sragi District, Pekalongan Regency, Central Java.

Around 900 farmers are now getting affordable electricity to be used for agricultural needs to livestock. Previously these farmers used generators with fuel oil (BBM).

The Regional Secretary of Pekalongan Regency, M. Yulian Akbar appreciated the support of PLN and the Village Government indicating the initiation of diesel conversion to electricity. He said that since 1990, farmers in Klunjukan have been irrigating rice fields using water pumps that have been turned on using generators.

"After using PLN electricity, farmers can reduce emissions arising from generators and obtain optimization and efficiency from production costs," said Yulian in a written statement, Wednesday, February 28.

He added that from the information of a number of farmers, by switching from fuel to PLN electricity, there was an operational cost savings of up to 80% of the EA program.

"The Pekalongan Regency Government continues to support what has been initiated, which will later become a role model for other villages regarding the use of clean energy," added Yulian.

PLN President Director, Darmawan Prasodjo separately reiterated that the company initiated the EA program to improve farmers' welfare. Darmawan said that electricity-based agricultural technology is able to increase productivity and farmers' income.

"EA is a breakthrough from PLN in utilizing electrical energy in agriculture such as agriculture, fisheries, plantations and livestock which aims to increase productivity and operational efficiency of farmers," he said.

This program is also here to present Creating Shared Value (CSV) for the community and the environment.

Meanwhile, General Manager of PLN Central Java and DI Yogyakarta's Main Distribution Unit, Mochamad Soffin Hadi said that this water pump in Klunjukan Village is a clear evidence of collaboration between the local government and PLN. He noted that the EA program in the village was able to flow about 30 hectares of agricultural land with a volume of 16 cubic meters of water.

"There will definitely be savings that will occur in the operational costs of fellow farmers, especially from the cost of irrigation, because the cost of purchasing diesel is certainly more expensive than PLN's electricity price," said Soffin.

Soffin also noted that to date, more than 37 thousand agricultural customers/agcultural activists have experienced the benefits of the Electrifying Agriculture program in the provinces of Central Java and Yogyakarta. He hopes that PLN's success in implementing the EA program throughout 2023 will continue into the following years, making clear evidence of the presence of SOEs for the growth of the agricultural sector.