PANGKALPINANG -- Strengthening food security requires sustained efforts to increase food production while empowering communities to meet their food needs independently. Through its Corporate Social and Environmental Responsibility (TJSL) programs, PT TIMAH (Persero) Tbk continues to promote the development of agriculture, livestock farming, and fisheries across its operational areas.
PT TIMAH's support is delivered through various programs that build on local potential, ranging from food crop and vegetable cultivation, hydroponic farming, and chicken and duck farming to fish farming using floating net cages. These initiatives are part of the company's efforts to strengthen food availability while encouraging communities to develop productive businesses.
Several programs have been implemented, including pineapple cultivation by farmer groups in Kundur Village, food crop cultivation with farmer groups in Sungailiat, and an integrated farming program in Badau. The latter initially focused on corn and pineapple cultivation before expanding to include vegetables and other commodities in 2026.
PT TIMAH also supports hydroponic farming initiatives undertaken by the Perkasa Women's Farmer Group (KWT) in Air Putih Village, as well as hydroponic farming groups in Kundur.
Meanwhile, in the livestock and fisheries sectors, the programs include chicken farming in Kundur and Telak Village, Jebus; fish farming using floating net cages in Telak Village, Jebus, and Teluk Rubiah Subdistrict, Mentok; and duck farming in Pedindang Village in 2026.
Through these initiatives, the company seeks to encourage the utilization of local resources and potential, enabling communities to develop productive businesses suited to their regional conditions and market demands.
The benefits of this support have been experienced by the Lanjut Bestari Hydroponic Farming Group. Sartini, the group's chairperson, explained that since receiving assistance and guidance from PT TIMAH, the group has been able to meet its members' household vegetable needs.
"Initially, we only grew bok choy. One growing table could produce up to 30 kilograms per harvest, and we had two tables. Now, we grow various vegetables, including mustard greens, bok choy, lettuce, and vegetables used in soups," Sartini said, as quoted in a previous report.
According to Sartini, hydroponic farming has not only provided group members with new knowledge but has also created opportunities to earn income from their harvests.
"We used to be ordinary housewives, but now we have become productive thanks to PT TIMAH's hydroponic farming program. We even earn income for our group members whenever we harvest our crops," she said.
In addition to developing new agricultural programs, PT TIMAH supports farmer groups by providing agricultural inputs, farming equipment, and cultivation training. This assistance is intended to help farmers improve operational efficiency and develop crops with economic potential.
One beneficiary is the Mitra Mandiri Farmer Group in Kundur Village, West Kundur District. The group's chairman, Muhammad Azhar, said the mini cultivator provided by PT TIMAH has helped accelerate land preparation, which was previously carried out manually.
"Previously, we cultivated the land manually using hoes, which was exhausting, inefficient, and time-consuming. With the mini cultivator provided by PT TIMAH, breaking up and leveling the soil has become much faster, and the results are significantly better," Azhar said.
Assistance is also provided to encourage the development of local agricultural commodities. Dedi Junaidi of the Bina Tani Farmer Group in Ganse Hamlet, for example, said that shallot cultivation training had equipped farmers with new knowledge to expand their farming businesses.
"The prospects for shallot farming are actually quite promising, especially now that we are receiving support from PT TIMAH. We have also received shallot cultivation training that has broadened our knowledge. This will help us develop shallot farming in the future by applying what we have learned," he said.
Similar support has been provided to the Sinar Baru Association of Farmer Groups (Gapoktan) through a chili cultivation development program. Amir, chairman of Gapoktan Sinar Baru, said that the business capital assistance and technical guidance received since 2023 have contributed to improvements in both crop yields and harvest quality.
"PT TIMAH has provided support in the form of business capital and technical assistance or agricultural extension services since 2023. Since then, our crop yields have increased, and the quality of our harvests has improved," he said.
These various agricultural, livestock, and fisheries programs form part of PT TIMAH's efforts to strengthen food self-sufficiency among communities in its operational areas. Through the provision of agricultural inputs, skills development, and the promotion of businesses based on local potential, communities are expected to increase productivity while creating sustainable sources of income.
By developing programs that involve farmer groups, women's groups, and rural communities, PT TIMAH's food security initiatives focus not only on ensuring the availability of food commodities but also on fostering greater economic independence among local communities. (*)
