PT Pupuk Kalimantan Timur (Pupuk Kaltim)’s efforts in supporting sustainable and environmentally friendly agriculture through social innovations in community empowerment have once more received international recognition. The company has just been awarded the 2024 Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards (AREA) in the Social Empowerment category.
In addition, Pupuk Kaltim also won the ESG Champion of ASIA award, with the Silver Emblem of Sustainability predicate, following receiving the AREA award six times in a row for community and environmental empowerment programs.
VP TJSL Pupuk Kaltim Sugeng Suedi said that the achievement refers to the innovation of the Integrated Compost Farming program for Innovative and Prosperous Babadan (PKT Bisa), which was deliberately initiated to encourage sustainable land quality improvements, while simultaneously realizing a circular economy in the agricultural sector in maximizing the potential of commodities and farmer welfare.
The program is a follow-up to the Agro Solution project implemented by Pupuk Kaltim in Babadan Hamlet, Kepuh Rejo Village, Takeran District, Magetan Regency, East Java. The community in this location has almost the same problems as farmers in general, namely related to soil health which has an impact on decreasing commodity production results.
Through the PKT Bisa program, Pupuk Kaltim helps farmers to increase the carrying capacity of the land, by encouraging the use of compost to reduce the excessive use of chemical fertilizers. From that, more environmentally friendly land management can be applied by farmers in maximizing the potential of agricultural commodities.
“Moreover, in Babadan Hamlet, there is abundant waste from cattle and goat farms, which even disturbs the community because it is not processed optimally. This potential is what PKT BISA is eyeing, by processing livestock waste into compost using Bioactivator produced by Pupuk Kaltim, namely Biodex,” said Sugeng, Tuesday (9/7).
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The Babadan community is equipped with skills to process compost from livestock waste from the initial stage, with gradual assistance. And finally the community is able to produce high-value compost to be used on their respective farms as a form of added value provided.
Slowly, the condition of the sandy and less productive agricultural land in Babadan Hamlet began to show changes, so that the area of ​​productive agricultural land reaching 40 hectares might be optimally cultivated with the main commodities of peanuts, rice and corn.
“Along with changes in agricultural patterns and land conditions, people’s knowledge and skills regarding the agricultural sector are also increasing rapidly. And the potential for compost is also being developed through community business units to have a greater impact on farmers’ welfare,” Sugeng continued.
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In an effort to strengthen the capacity of the fostered, Pupuk Kaltim also collaborates with employees to provide additional provisions for Babadan Makmur members, as a form of continuous assistance so that the compost business managed is increasingly independent and competitive. From this, the agricultural potential in the Babadan area is able to encourage the creation of sustainable food self-sufficiency, as a form of added value in realizing a circular economy in the agricultural sector.
“Efforts like this continue to be strengthened by Pupuk Kaltim as a form of added value for the community and the environment, by prioritizing an economic approach through empowerment. Including encouraging a more environmentally friendly and sustainable agricultural system,” said Sugeng.
He also said that the AREA 2024 award is also a motivation for Pupuk Kaltim to continue to do various developments, so that the welfare of Indonesian farmers through the circular economy can be realized more optimally. And the PKT BISA idea is also expected to be a pilot project to be applied to other locations, so that the beneficiaries of the program will increase.
“This award is also proof of Pupuk Kaltim’s commitment to continue contributing to the environment, while striving to improve community welfare with various initiatives consistently and continuously,” said Sugeng. (Z-11)
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