KUNDUR -- PT Timah Tbk's Micro Small Business Funding Program (PUMK) not only targets individual MSME actors, but also groups. Such as the Jaya Kundur Farmers' group which also utilizes PT Timah Tbk's capital funds to develop their agricultural business.
The Agro Jaya Kundur Farmers Group manages about two hectares of land to grow vegetables such as chili, mustard, cucumber, long beans, corn and various other vegetables.
They have started this vegetable farming business since 2014. Currently there are about 20 members of the group running this business.
The chairman of the Agro Jaya Farmers Group Kundur Agus Salim said their business had been running for a long time but during the Covid-19 pandemic their business was hampered. The decline in people's purchasing power makes their turnover go down.
In addition, the non-operation of the ship made them unable to sell agricultural products outside the island of Kundur. They have marketed their agricultural products to Burung Island, Tanjung Samak and several other locations on Batam Island.
"Since Covid-19, market demand has decreased drastically because ships do not sail due to restrictions on community activities. This has resulted in a lot of stock that cannot be sold outside the region. So we can be sure that we are all at a loss, selling prices have decreased, not commensurate with maintenance and processing costs," he said. Agus Salim recently.
To maintain the stability of the farming group's business, they need capital. Thus, utilizing the PUMK program of PT Timah Tbk so that the business can be stable and develop.
"As Group Leader, I am trying to find a solution to survive and develop this business. Thank God I got information from fellow traders in the market about the partnership program from PT Timah Tbk," he said.
"Then I conveyed it to all members and it was agreed with us that the Agro Jaya Kundur Farmers Group would take advantage of the program that strongly favors these small business actors," he continued.
Agus Salim said that after becoming a foster partner of PT Timah Tbk their group began to grow. Especially now that market demand has returned to normal and they can return to marketing their agricultural products outside Kundur Island.
"So far the Agro Jaya Kundur Farmers' group has been able to meet market demand. All thanks to an injection of funds from PT Timah through its partnership program. So that the constraints of the members of Agro Jaya Kundur Farmers can be overcome," he said.
He is grateful to be a foster partner of PT Timah Tbk, so that their group's agricultural business can grow. He hopes that this program can continue to help SMEs.
"It can be ascertained that this program greatly relieves MSMEs, so that the capital obtained can be used for business capital, because we only start paying installments after three months of disbursement," he said.
