Liputan6.com, Jakarta - Harita Nickel continues to support economic growth for the people of Obi Island. Here, this nickel mining and downstream processing company has partnered with several farmer groups to supply local food for its workforce of over 20,000 people. This partnership was originally set up to meet the food needs of company employees.
In addition to collaborating to meet employee food needs, Harita Nickel also assists with the harvest distribution among three villages. So far, three farmer groups have become suppliers.
These three groups are members of the Anisa Jaya Joint Business Group (KSU), comprising 25 members; the Ora et Labora Joint Business Group (KUB), with 15 members; and the remaining members come from the Akelamo Jaya Farmers Group. In total, there are 54 suppliers spread throughout Kawasi Village, where the company operates, and Laiwui District.
In Laiwui District, the company has mentored 10 horticultural farmer groups, one duck farming group, and one fishing group. Similarly, in Kawasi Village, a fishermen's group has been assisted, in addition to the aforementioned farmers' group.
Nur Eneng Dahmad, a member of the farming group that has been supplying Harita Nickel's food needs since 2016, said that this collaboration has yielded positive results for the local economy, especially for the women who are members of the farming group.
"Many things have changed in our daily lives, especially the economy, through this collaboration. It not only provides economic benefits for individuals, but also for the women in the farming group," Eneng said when contacted by the Liputan6.com team on Friday (November 25, 2022).
Operating in Various Sectors
In addition to agriculture, suppliers collaborating with Harita Nickel operate in a range of other sectors and have, for the most part, achieved legal registration. Most importantly, all of these supplier groups are made up local residents and farmers.
The commodities supplied by these groups include vegetables, fruit, chicken, beef, fish, and dry kitchen ingredients. These local ingredients are distributed to the company through vendors or third parties who manage employee meal needs. Naturally, these vendors also conduct product quality checks.
Starting next year (2023), the focus will not be solely on horticulture but will expand into other areas. Eneng stated that the Akelomo Jaya Farmers Group will expand into other raw materials, such as ice block production.
"Early next year, we will launch a new business: ice block production. We chose ice blocks because a number of people in Obi are fishermen. So we want to help these fishermen maintain the freshness of their catch by supplying ice blocks," she said.
Incidentally, total turnover generated by the farmers’ groups is impressive. The total turnover from all suppliers, when combined, reaches IDR 8 billion per month.
Harita Nickel Assists the Obi Island Farmers Group
Thanks to the collaboration between the company and the farmer groups on Obi Island, farmers' market share has significantly expanded. These groups have also benefitted from company support in the form of agricultural education, through the provision of assistance to improve product quality, as well as distribution management.
Furthermore, the company assisted the farmer groups with post-harvest handling, such as ensuring fish are stored in ice-filled containers and kept clean, vegetables and fruit must be sorted to ensure quality, and so on.
Eneng also explained that when the farmer groups encounter challenges, such as unsatisfactory harvests resulting from crop failure due to the rainy season, the company continued to provide support and education to the farmers.
"When our yields declined and crops failed due to the rainy season, the company continued to provide assistance and education to us, including selecting suitable seeds, maintaining soil nutrients, and helping us find new distribution channels," she said.
Challenges faced by the farmers extend beyond crop failures, and include limited production or land availability, as well as maritime transportation issues, which can often impact the supply of vegetables and fruit. These factors can also affect the company's ability to meet its employee needs.
To overcome these obstacles, Eneng hopes the company can provide equitable agricultural education for farmer groups on Obi Island.
"We hope that education through the company's mentoring will be more evenly distributed among farmer groups on Obi Island," she said.
"We also hope the company can support the new business (ice blocks) that will launch in early 2023 and have a positive impact on farmer groups and fishermen on Obi Island," she concluded.
Source: Liputan6.com