BELITUNG – PT Timah Tbk empowers the community as well as manages ex-mining land for pineapple plantations in Badau Village, Badau District, Belitung Regency. PT Timah Tbk in collaboration with the Aik Jelutung Farmers Group, Badau Village, utilizes one hectare of ex-mining land which will be used for pineapple plantations.
Previously, PT Timah Tbk handed over funds for the Community Development and Empowerment Program (PPM) to the Aik Jelutung Farmer group, Badau Village, Badau Belitung District, to develop pineapple plantations for the surrounding community. As is known, badau pineapple has a characteristic.
To that end, the Aik Jelutung Farmers Group started planting badau pineapples on ex-mining land in the concession area of ??PT Timah Tbk, Monday (23/8/2021).
"Today we are starting to plant a pineapple symbolically, we will work on an area of ??one hectare," said Aik Jelutung Farmer's Group, Badau Village, Suhari.
He said, in addition to being developed for pineapple plantations and processing, this area will be used for agro-tourism. These pineapples will be processed into several products such as jam, chips and others.
"PT Timah Tbk has really helped us, we as a farmer group have been greatly helped by the guidance of PT Timah Tbk. We thank PT Timah Tbk for helping our farmer group," he said.
According to him, ex-mining land can provide benefits if managed properly. Ex-mining land can also provide economic value for the community, it's just a matter of how to use it.
"We level the land, we give lime, and when planting we give manure," he explained.
He hopes that this plan will be successful and provide benefits for the community around Badau Village.
Meanwhile, the Head of Badau Sastra Sub-district, Yuni Ardi, said that she appreciated and welcomed the assistance of PT Timah Tbk for the Community Development and Empowerment (PPM) program at the Aik Jelutung Farmer Group.
"We hope this activity will continue, coaching and empowering PT Timah Tbk for this farmer group," he said.
Sastra hopes that the support from PT Timah Tbk will continue until the final stage and can achieve the desired goals of the Community Development and Empowerment (PPM) program at the Aik Jelutung Farmer Group.
Then, he hopes that the Aik Jelutung Farmer's Group can become a role model for other communities or villages in terms of empowering rural communities in particular.
"We hope that this farmer group can be committed and focused in carrying out the activities or programs that have been supported by PT Timah," he said.
