28 September 2024
Obi Island, home to Harita Nickel’s operations, is a place of abundant mineral resources. Beyond its waters, teeming with marine biodiversity, this island—rich in nickel—also has fertile land. Yet, despite its potential, agriculture here remains underdeveloped.
Recognizing this untapped promise, Harita Nickel, through its Community Development and Empowerment program (Pengembangan dan Pemberdayaan Masyarakat or PPM), has embarked on agricultural initiatives for local residents. The aim is twofold: to help locals achieve food independence and provide them with a steady source of income.
Lukmanul Hakim, Agriculture and Fishery Supervisor at Harita Nickel, plays a central role in this mission. A graduate of the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences at Bogor Agricultural Institute (Institut Pertanian Bogor or IPB), he joined Harita Nickel in 2021, initially as a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) staff member. His first assignment was assisting Obi Sehati (Sentra Holtikultura dan Agribisnis Tanggap Iklim or the Center for Horticulture and Climate-Sensitive Agribusiness), a company-supported farming group that focused on growing watermelon.
At just 28 years old, this native of Makassar reflects on his journey. One of the main challenges he faced was aligning the visions of farmers, each with different temperaments and perspectives. Patience and effective communication were key in uniting them toward a common goal.
“It’s exhausting—traveling across Obi Island’s villages to provide guidance, and then having to wait months for the harvest. But seeing the results now, it’s all worth it,” said the father of three, with a sense of pride.
Three years later, Lukman’s efforts have expanded to twelve agricultural support programs, and nearly all the farming groups he and the Community Development team manage have reached a level of independence. For Lukman, this progress is nothing short of remarkable.
“The process was long. I didn’t imagine we’d come this far. Many farmers, who initially had very little income, now earn enough to support their daily needs,” he explained.
Some of the standout programs include the Obi Food Security Center (SENTANI) in Buton Village, focused on rice cultivation. Obi Sehati in Akegula and Buton Villages specializes in horticulture as well as watermelon and melon farming. Super Hortima in Laiwui Village focuses on fish farming and horticulture.
In Baru Village, the focus is on horticulture and soybean farming, while Jikotamo Village supports horticulture and livestock farming. In Kawasi Village, the SUTAN program is centered on local fishermen, whose catches are sold to meet Harita Nickel’s needs.
“Some of the harvest, such as watermelons and melons from Buton Village, and fish from Kawasi Village, is already being supplied to the company,” Lukman noted.
Meanwhile, other harvests are used by the farming groups for their own needs or sold within the local communities.
“We’re currently supplying up to 10 tons of watermelon to Harita Nickel’s site each month, and about 2 tons of melon,” he added.
Lukman, who recently received recognition from the Ministry of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration for his commitment to the acceleration of village development and the achievement of the Village SDGs, remains optimistic. He believes these numbers will continue to grow, in line with increasing demand from the company.
“With this, we want to show the existence of an active and effective partnership between the local community and Harita Nickel,” Lukman concluded.
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