Riau, 5 July 2018 – Asian Agri has reaffirmed its commitment to prevent forest and land fires in Indonesia by continuing its partnership with 16 villages as part of the 2018/2019 Fire-Free Village Program.
A total of 16 villages in Riau and Jambi that were involved in last year’s program have signed MoUs and committed to continue Asian Agri’s Fire-Free Village Program.
The 16 villages are:
| Riau | Jambi |
| 1. Lubuk Ogong Village | 10. Lubuk Bernai Village |
| 2. Rantau Baru Village | 11. Lubuk Lawas Village |
| 3. Tambak Village | 12. Tuo Sumay Village |
| 4. Sotol Village | 13. Teriti Village |
| 5. Segati Village | 14. Muara Sekalo Village |
| 6. Lalang Kabung Village | 15. Suo Suo Village |
| 7. Delik Village | 16. Semambu Village |
| 8. Bagan Limau Village | |
| 9. Kuala Terusan Village |
“We are really thankful for this partnership with Asian Agri’s Fire -Free Village Program for the past two years. We were well trained and equipped with steady infrastructure to protect our village from fire”, said Zulkatab, Fire Crew Leader from Tambak Village.
The 2017/2018 Fire-Free Village period successfully marked an almost 80% decrease in the area of land burned – down from 398 hectares in 2016 to just 82 hectares in 2017.
“There was a significant drop of 316 hectares in the area of land which was burned,” said Zulbahri, Asian Agri Sustainability Operations Manager.
Zulbahri explained that Asian Agri’s Fire-Free Village Program is a collaboration between the communities, government and the company to reduce the area of land burned with a prevention approach.
The program is now supported by Fire Aware Communities from each village, who all have the same mission of preventing land fires and haze in their surroundings.
“We are optimistic about reducing fires until there are zero fire incidents with the Fire-Free Village Program, and the support of the community, government and safety team,” Zulbahri said.
Asian Agri is also committed to support fire prevention especially during the 18th Asian Games which are slated to take place in Indonesia in August 2018.
“Together with our Fire Aware Communities, we are ready to help support a haze-free Asian Games,” said Zulbahri.
Asian Agri Hands Over Fire-Free Village Rewards in Riau
Five villages in Riau received full rewards of IDR 100 million each for successfully keeping their villages free of fire last year, while one village received an IDR 50 million reward for having less than one hectare of its land burned.
Lubuk Ogong Village, Rantau Baru Village, Sotol Village, Lalang Kabung Village, and Delik Village received the full rewards, while Tambak Village received the partial reward.
Asian Agri’s Regional Head of Riau, Omri Samosir, handed over the rewards to the village chiefs.
“The Fire-Free Village Program shows our commitment to fire prevention. Asian Agri has a zero burn policy to ensure there are no burning practices carried out in our plantation areas. We aim to share the same motivation with surrounding villages by engaging residents to implement this commitment together,” said Omri.
A total of 12 villages out of 16 villages in Riau and Jambi that participated in the Fire-Free Village Program received rewards for achieving fire-free goals this year.
The villages in Jambi province had earlier received their rewards on 3 July, 2018.
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About Asian Agri:
Asian Agri is one of Indonesia’s largest palm oil producers since 1979. Today, the company manages 100,000 hectares of land and employs over 25,000 people. A pioneer of the Indonesian government’s Trans-National Government Migration (PIR-Trans) program, Asian Agri works with 30,000 plasma smallholders in Riau and Jambi who operate 60,000 hectares of palm oil plantations, as well as independent smallholders, bringing about positive impact on their quality of life and economic development.
Implementing a strict “no burn” policy and best practices in sustainable plantation management, Asian Agri has helped its smallholder partners improve productivity, yield and supply chain traceability, while assisting them obtain certifications. The company’s mills are technologically advanced and energy self-sufficient, minimizing greenhouse gas emissions.
Asian Agri is a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). More than 86% of both owned plantations in North Sumatra, Riau & Jambi provinces and 100% of scheme smallholder plantations in Riau & Jambi provinces have been RSPO certified. All plantations, including those owned by smallholders, have been certified by ISCC (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification). More than 91% of plantations and mills owned by Asian Agri have been ISPO (Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil) certified.
The company’s operations are ISO 14001 certified, while its Learning Institute and nursery research center in Riau province, Indonesia are both ISO 9001 certified. Asian Agri’s R&D Center in North Sumatra was also given a certification by the International Plant-Analytical Exchange at the WEPAL lab at Wageningen University in The Netherlands, for its high standards.
For further information, please contact:
| Dinna Permana Setyani |
| Corporate Communication Manager |
| E-mail: DinnaPermana@www.asianagri.com |
| DID: (021) 230 1119 |
