GIS Improves Farmer Welfare In Rembang Through The Semen Gresik Farmer Friends Program

Sukardi (rightmost) harvested soft fruit in the holticulture plantation area of PT Semen Gresik Factory Rembang, Central Java. (Photo: Doc. SIG)

JAKARTA - The Semen Gresik Farmers' Friends Program (SGSP) run by a subsidiary of PT Semen Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (SIG), namely PT Semen Gresik, has had a positive impact on improving the welfare of the community around the Rembang Factory, Central Java.

SGSP is a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) program that has been run by PT Semen Gresik since November 2021 as a forum for community empowerment that provides assistance to 361 pesanggem farmers (foreign farmers) in four villages around the operation of the Rembang Factory, including Tegaldowo Village, Kajar Village, Pasucen Village, and Timbrangan Village.

The assistance provided includes education about agriculture and business development, seed assistance, to facilitating farmers to manage land owned by the Company covering an area of 119.25 Ha.

Sukardi (40), one of the pesanggem farmers from Kajar Village who managed to rise from the economic crush and earned additional income from farming after joining the SGSP program. He admitted that the SGSP program really helped improve the economy of local farmers because so far they have faced land constraints.

My own land is not up to 1 Ha. The majority of me planted corn and the rest were planted with rice in a lot of water. In a year I can harvest twice. The yield of rice harvest for self-consuming is also not much. Well, corn is sold for animal feed. The results are not sufficient, that's why I became a driver for additional income," said Sukardi, in a written statement, Friday, November 15.

Because the demand for driver services was getting quieter, Sukardi's income was depressed. Starting from information from fellow farmers, Sukardi joined as a partner of PT Semen Gresik through the SGSP program at the end of 2022 so that he received a land loan to plant corn. In addition to being facilitated by land, Sukardi was also given education about agriculture and seed assistance, and had the opportunity to study appeals to agricultural land at Ecopark Kambangsemi owned by SIG Tuban Factory.

"Alhamdulillah, if you total it with agricultural products on your own land, my income has increased. Initially, for one harvest on your own land, you get 7 quintals, but now I have added the factory land that I manage, the harvest can reach 1.5 tons per harvest. I use this additional income for the needs of my family and children's education. My two children, who are 16 years old, are already in school and 4 years of kindergarten. Thank you Semen Gresik and GIS for caring for us. Good luck always so that we can continue to provide benefits to the community, "said Sukardi.

SIG Corporate Secretary, Vita Mahreyni said that the SGSP program is one of the Company's efforts to improve the welfare of the community around the operational area. GIS is committed to continuing to present effective and quality CSR programs to optimize benefits that can be felt directly by the community.

In addition to the cultivated land for farmers, PT Semen Gresik also provides 1.6 Ha Edupark facilities that can be utilized by farmers as a means of education. This education is conceptualized by agriculture and integrated livestock. Therefore, there are various livestock, fish to various vegetables such as spinach, kale, mustard, lettuce, long beans, terong, to sereh, which have been consumed both by yourself and sold," said Vita Mahreyni.

PT Semen Gresik has also contributed to improving the smooth running of residents' economic activities through village infrastructure development assistance. Since 2021, PT Semen Gresik has provided assistance of IDR 5.37 billion for the construction of 4.1 km of roads in six villages in Rembang and Blora Regencies, including Tegaldowo Village, Kajar Village, Timbrangan Village, Pasucen Village, and Kadiwono Village in Rembang Regency, as well as Ngampel Village in Blora Regency. In addition to village roads, PT Semen Gresik also provides assistance in the development of other village infrastructure such as bridges, drainage, village halls, and river retaining walls.

According to Vita Mahreyni, village infrastructure development assistance is expected to accelerate village economic growth, along with increased accessibility for the mobility of people and goods.

"This village infrastructure assistance is a form of GIS as a State-Owned Enterprise to take a role in efforts to equalize the economy and realize sustainable development goals in Indonesia," said Vita Mahreyni.