RMK Energy Supports Community Economic Independence By Developing Agriculture Activities In The Extinction Strait

Photo: Doc. RMK Energy

JAKARTA - PT RMK Energy Tbk supports and mobilizes the economy of the community around operational areas through rice farming development activities. The empowerment program carried out by PT RMK Energy Tbk began with the handover of 2 tractor machines and other equipment to support the development of agricultural activities for residents of RT 025 and RT 026 Punai Kel Strait. Pulokerto, Kec. Gandus, Palembang City.

Agricultural machinery is one of the main capital for agricultural cultivation activities that are useful for simplifying and accelerating the process of land processing, considering that most rice fields are rainsheds so that farmers are triggered by the time of planting.

This was done by RMK Energy to encourage increased productivity of the surrounding community's crops. The company empowers the community according to the potential of the village, with a total area of rice fields of 178.5 Ha and a total of around 80 farmers, this program will help increase the productivity of the harvests per year, which currently reaches around 5.3 tons per Ha, a minimum target of 6 tons per Ha.

The use of agricultural machinery such as the use of tractors and the adoption of other agricultural innovations, it is hoped that it can increase the productivity of crops so that it becomes an acceleration in encouraging the economic independence of local communities, especially in the agricultural sector.

"This tractor machine assistance will certainly be very useful for the community, we are grateful for the company's attention and assistance, and we are waiting for the next program," said Lili, a resident of RT 025 as well as Chair of the Suka Maju Group 2, quoted Thursday, October 19.

Not only agricultural machine assistance, this program will also be equipped with training and assistance related to the operation of agricultural tractors, calculations of the cost of using tractors per hectare, including management. On the same occasion, attended by the Gandus PPL Team, Head of RW 04, Head of RT 025, Head of RT 026, as well as Chairperson and Trustee of Iksowdus (Ikatan Solidarity of Gandus Residents). Robbi Habiburahman as PPL of the Pulokerto Development Area also said that in addition to rice fields, other commodities that the community is trying, namely chili, terung, and other vegetables, the condition of planting the vegetables is limited in number, utilizing the availability of rainwater. With the support of business actors, in this case RMKE, the potential for developing agricultural commodities can be optimized properly.

The protracted impact of the El Nino phenomenon has provided significant challenges in the Indonesian agricultural sector, especially in the production of food commodities. Although there are several production centers that are still able to produce in the midst of dry conditions, overall, national production has shown a downward trend.

Facing a situation like this, the application of agricultural technology is a strategic step to mitigate this impact. PT RMK Energy Tbk sees the importance of the role of technology in facing this challenge and hopes that with the help of tractors and other agricultural tools, farmers can optimize agricultural production even in the midst of unfavorable climate conditions.

RMKE Operations Director William Saputra said that this tractor assistance is the beginning, the Company will provide continuous assistance, so as not to close opportunities for other new technology introduction that can be applied to rice fields.

"This activity is one of the company's commitments to support economic independence in the RMKE operational area, of course this will be carried out consistently so that it can provide direct and sustainable benefits to the surrounding community, so that in the future the community can be more economically independent," said William.

"In the future, in the long-term program, RMKE will continue to cooperate with the Palembang City Agriculture and Food Security Service through the Gandus Agricultural Extension Center (BPP) UPTD to support each other in the program being run through the local PPL (Fitrgricultural Extension)," William concluded.

The RMKE community empowerment program in agriculture aims to improve people's skills and knowledge in developing agricultural potential in the region so that it can improve people's welfare.