Erick Thohir's Promise To Sugarcane Farmers: Report To Me If You Can't Get Quality Seeds, Especially From PTPN

Minister of SOEs, Erick Thohir. (Photo: Instagram @erickthohir)

JAKARTA - Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Erick Thohir promised to provide quality seeds for sugarcane farmers in East Java. Therefore, Erick asked the farmers to report to him if they did not get quality seeds, especially from PTPN VII.

According to Erick, the transformation should not even trouble the people. The current progress of PTPN must encourage farmers to have a good research so that they can produce quality seeds that help smallholder sugarcane farmers to progress together.

"I promise that next year's planting season, sugarcane farmers in East Java will get quality seeds from PTPN XII, if they can't, please report to me," he said in a written statement, quoted Monday, September 20.

Erick emphasized that the progress that has been made in state-owned companies must really have a positive impact on the community. Especially for SOEs that involve the people to support their growing industry. So that all involved will enjoy the same benefits.

This time, Erick Thohir visited PT Industri Sugar Glenmore (IGG) managed by PT Perkebunan Nusantara XII on an area of 102.4 hectares located in Karangharjo Village, Glenmore District, Banyuwangi Regency.

The sugar industry with the product name Nusakita has now become the mainstay of PT Perkebunan Nusantara XII in the field of agribusiness with main commodities, in the form of sugar cane, rubber, coffee, cocoa, tea, wood. This includes non-commodity products such as horticulture, agro-tourism, and other products.

"I appreciate the progress of PT Perkebunan Nusantara XII which is represented by PT IGG because it has achieved the highest yield and percentage of sugar cane in the scope of a state-owned sugar factory. Moreover, this company has other potentials thanks to the advancement of industrial technology used," he said.

Erick hopes that all of this will have a direct impact on improving the quality of sugarcane farming and farmers in Banyuwangi. Moreover, he said, PT IGG is classified as a modern national sugar factory that has sugarcane processing machines with a high productivity level and a capacity of 6000 TCD (Ton of Cane per Day).

In addition, said Erick, PT IGG also produces organic fertilizer and electricity. Production of fertilizer from raw materials for biotong with a processing capacity of 180 tons/day, or organic fertilizer production of 90 tons/day.

Powered by surplus electricity

Meanwhile, in every milling season, the production of electrical energy at IGG is always in surplus because it is able to produce electricity of 144 MW/day or 21.600 MW/150 days. The electricity is generated from the concept of green industry, namely building a factory with 'cogeneration' as an energy generator.

For your information, cogeneration is a combination of two energies, namely heat energy and power energy to produce electric current and heat with bagasse as fuel.

On that occasion, Erick also had a light dialogue with sugarcane farmers, harvested sugarcane, and saw the planting of sugarcane seeds from the top of the sugarcane planter tractor.

"If state-owned companies whose industries are close to the people can progress, then they are also enthusiastic. Especially if SOEs accompany sugarcane farmers in Banyuwangi so that their farming businesses are more qualified and more prosperous enjoying the results of their hard work", he said.

Because of that, Erick advised PTPN to increase alignment with people's sugar cane by eliminating the game in assessing the sugarcane yield of farmers, providing superior seeds, and fertilizer assistance.