BANGKA BARAT -- Dozens of students from SDN 12 Air Putih, Mentok District, West Bangka Regency, took part in an educational visit to the Tanjung Ular Farm Estate managed by PT TIMAH Tbk on Monday (November 3, 2025).
The students, accompanied by their teachers, came to learn firsthand about food security and the management of productive land, where they could directly observe the horticultural farming process.
At the Farm Estate area, various food and horticultural crops are grown, including water spinach, spinach, mustard greens, long beans, bottle gourds, chili peppers, bananas, oranges, papayas, basil, sweet potatoes, cassava, watermelon, melons, galangal, lemongrass, tomatoes, bitter melon, and pineapples.
The land management involves local farmer groups, creating tangible economic benefits for the surrounding community.
The principal of SDN 12 Air Putih, Nurhayati, said the visit was part of the school’s thematic learning activities, which teach students the importance of household food security.
“Our goal in coming to the Farm Estate is for the children to learn directly about various types of plants and the processes of seeding and food cultivation. We hope they can apply the knowledge they gain in school,” she said.
She added that most of the students’ parents work as farmers and fishermen, making this field learning activity highly relevant to supporting contextual education.
“We have vacant land at school that we plan to use for farming practice. The knowledge from this visit will be applied together with the parents’ association,” she added.
According to Nurhayati, the presence of PT TIMAH’s Farm Estate not only serves as an educational platform but also opens opportunities to improve the local economy in Air Putih Village through productive agricultural activities.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of Air Putih Village, Yudianto, expressed his appreciation for PT TIMAH’s empowerment initiative through the Tanjung Ular Farm Estate program.
“This Farm Estate is a real example of how post-mining land can be used to support food security. Besides providing learning opportunities for students, it also directly impacts the local economy since it is managed by the residents of Air Putih themselves,” he explained.
He emphasized that the village government will continue to support the sustainability of the Farm Estate as a collaborative program that strengthens food security while improving community welfare. (*)
