BELITUNG — PT Timah Tbk continues to demonstrate its commitment to promoting the productive and sustainable use of post-mining land. In collaboration with the Air Jelutung Farmers Group in Badau Village, Badau District, Belitung Regency, PT Timah has developed a pineapple plantation on former mining land.
This collaboration is part of PT Timah’s efforts—as a member of the MIND ID Mining Industry Holding—in implementing sustainable environmental management and community empowerment.
The Air Jelutung Farmers Group is cultivating nanas badau, a local variety of pineapple traditionally grown by local farmers.
Chairman of the Air Jelutung Farmers Group, Suhari, shared that this collaboration marks their first experience cultivating pineapples on former mining land.
“This is our first time planting pineapples on post-mining land with PT Timah. At first, the plant growth was quite slow, even though we tried various types of fertilizers. But after using chicken manure, the growth started to improve,” he explained.
Although the first harvest has not yet reached its full potential due to soil conditions, Suhari believes the pineapple’s taste quality remains intact. He is optimistic that with continued assistance from PT Timah, the land can become a productive and economically valuable pineapple farming center.
“We are very grateful to PT Timah for their support and guidance. This is a valuable experience for our group, and we are confident that in the future, this former mining land can become a better pineapple plantation,” he added.
Suhari also encouraged the group members to stay motivated and united in facing challenges.
“We know this isn’t easy, but we believe that hard work never betrays results,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of Badau Village, Janiwati, appreciated PT Timah’s initiative to involve the community in managing post-mining land through its corporate social responsibility (CSR) program.
“We truly appreciate this initiative because it provides a positive impact on the farmers’ economy. This isn’t just physical assistance, but also involves much-needed mentoring and training,” said Janiwati.
She also acknowledged that utilizing former mining land comes with its own challenges, especially regarding soil quality. However, with ongoing collaboration, she believes that crops from post-mining land can be as productive as those from traditional farmlands.
“We hope that collaborations like this don’t stop at pineapples, but can also be expanded to other commodities such as oil palm or other horticultural crops. Thank you to PT Timah for involving the community in managing post-mining land,” she concluded. (*)
