WEST BANGKA -- Managing ex-mining land into productive land is a form of sustainable environmental management carried out by PT Timah.
Together with the Harapan Youth Farmer Group, Belo Laut Village, West Bangka, PT Timah is managing ex-mining land into land that can be used for Agroforestry activities.
The agroforestry activities carried out include planting hardy trees, vegetables, and fruit planted on ex-mining land. This program is also in line with community group empowerment activities around the mine.
Chairman of the Harapan Youth Farmers Group, Ananda Rahmat, said that as a hard plant activist, he admitted that he knew the structure of ex-mining soil. So they intend to use ex-mining land to grow plants such as durian, avocado, and others.
It cannot be denied that managing ex-mining land for agricultural land is not easy. It requires special care so that the results can be maximum.
"Special care is needed, as well as daily maintenance, to change the former land so that it becomes productive again for planting fruit. Plants receive special attention and are given fertilizer that is suitable for the soil structure," he explained.
Ananda Rahmat said they were lucky because they received support from PT Timah to manage this ex-mining land. So it is easier and more helpful for them in terms of equipment.
"We received support from PT Timah's attention to developing agroforestry businesses on ex-mining land. PT Timah then helped with heavy equipment, water pump machines, as well as compost houses and huts," he explained.
With support from PT Timah, it provides motivation for them to continue developing agroforestry farming activities on ex-mining land.
"PT Timah's assistance has certainly made our Farmers Group more enthusiastic, enthusiastic about achieving the goal of making mining land productive, and wanting to expand the reforestation of other ex-mining land," he said.
In the future, he hopes that PT Timah can support their efforts and provide guidance so that they can have a wider impact on group members and the surrounding community.
"Thank you PT Timah, we hope to get PT Timah's continued support. Hopefully this collaboration can have an economic impact, changing the lives of our Farmer Groups in the future," he hoped.
