On Tuesday, September 13, 2022), Harita Nickel inaugurated a central activity hub for the Farmers and Fisherfolk Business Center (known by the Indonesian acronym SUTAN) in Kawasi Village, Obi District, South Halmahera, North Maluku. The business activity center was built and equipped with two units of cool storage facilities with a capacity of 500 kilograms (kg) per unit, allowing fisherfolk in Kawasi Village to store their catch.
Head of External Relations at Harita Nickel, Stevi Thomas, stated that the establishment of the Fisherfolk Business Center in Kawasi Village is part of Harita Nickel’s Community Development and Empowerment Program (PPM) for the fishing community in Kawasi Village, Obi Island.
Stevi went on to explains that this program was implemented to help fisherfolk in Kawasi Village in managing their catch.
“SUTAN is a pilot initiative for modern, small-scale capture fisheries management, meant to support fisherfolk in Kawasi Village in their fishing activities,” he said in a statement on Wednesday (September 14).
In addition, he continued, with the presence of cool storage facilities totaling one ton in capacity, the quality and quantity of the fishermen’s catch can be maintained and controlled.
“The provision of cool storage also aims to maintain the freshness and quality of the fish meat that is caught,” he added.
Kegiatan Peresmian Sentra Usaha Tani Nelayan (SUTAN) di Desa Kawasi, Pulau Obi, Halmahera Selatan, Selasa (13/9). Foto: Dokumen Harita Nickel
Stevi revealed that several companies under Harita Nickel that operate on Obi Island require a large supply of fish to meet consumption needs for all employees.
Until now, the company has relied on 10 suppliers who also come from Kawasi Village. However, all the fish has still been sourced from outside Obi Island, resulting in high transportation costs and frequent complaints from the company’s catering vendors due to inconsistent fish quality.
This situation became a particular concern for Harita Nickel, prompting the company to start empowering fisherfolk in Kawasi Village so they can also become suppliers of fish for the company.
“Certainly, another goal of providing this facility is to improve the competitiveness of the fisherfolk in Kawasi Village,” Stevi stated.
Meanwhile, at the inauguration event, Harita Nickel also brought representatives from PT GDSK, one of the company’s catering vendors on Obi Island. In the future, it is expected that fisherfolk from Kawasi Village will be able to sell their catch to the catering vendor according to company quality standards and at competitive prices.
Masyarakat nelayan Desa Kawasi menujukkan ikan hasil tangkapan mereka. Foto: Dokumen Harita Nickel
The Head of Kawasi Village, Arifin Saroa, expressed his gratitude to Harita Nickel for providing support and assistance to fishing groups in his village.
“We express our gratitude to Harita Nickel for the support and assistance given to the people of Kawasi Village. We hope that Harita Nickel will continue to provide guidance for the development of local community enterprises,” he said.
Arifin also explained that the cool storage provided by Harita will be very useful in maintaining the quality of the fishermen’s catch so that it does not spoil quickly.
Appreciation was also voiced by Imam Abadan Nomor, Coordinator of SUTAN North Kawasi, and Edy Kamaraha, Coordinator of SUTAN South Kawasi. Both expressed their hope that Harita Nickel will continue to provide mentoring and collaboration until SUTAN becomes a fully professional business unit capable of supplying markets beyond Obi Island.
Harita Nickel is part of the Harita Group, operating on Obi Island, South Halmahera Regency, North Maluku Province. In addition to holding a mining license (IUP), since 2016 the company has operated a saprolite nickel smelter, and since 2021 it has also operated nickel limonite processing and refining facilities in the same operational area. These facilities support the Indonesian government’s downstream mineral policy by processing nickel ore supplied by Trimegah Bangun Persada (TBP) and Gane Permai Sentosa (GPS).
Working through Halmahera Persada Lygend (HPAL), Harita Nickel has become a pioneer in Indonesia with regards to processing and refining low-grade limonite nickel using High Pressure Acid Leach (HPAL) technology. This technology makes it possible to convert previously unused limonite ore into a strategic product, Mixed Hydroxide Precipitate (MHP). Through the next processing stage currently under development, MHP will be further refined into Nickel Sulfate (NiSO₄) and Cobalt Sulfate (CoSO₄), which are raw materials for electric vehicle batteries.
Source: indopos.co.id