Jambi, 19 September 2019 – Asian Agri, through PT Inti Indosawit Subur, today symbolically handed over a cow byre as part of its community economic improvement program to Makarti Utama cattle breeding business in Kehidupan Baru Village, Maro Sebo Ilir District, Jambi.
Asian Agri’s Head of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Welly Pardede, explained that the hand over of the cowshed is the continuation of the CSR program initiated in 2009. Starting with the provision of cow broodstock followed by the technical assistance to make cowshed, pedestrian bridge to the cowshed and knowledge of raising cattle.
Head of Maro Sebo Ilir District, Jambi, Sanusi S.Ag who participated in the inauguration ceremony said, “PT Inti Indosawit Subur has laid the foundation of economic empowerment in Kehidupan Baru Village, so that the group of Makarti Utama farmers is able too showcase the superior products which come from its own area. Training and assistance facilitated by the company will make our villages and regions widely recognized”.
Sumaryo, Chairperson of the Cow Farmers Group Makarti Utama acknowledged that the group has gone through challenging situations. The high motivation and hard work with the supervision of the company have led them to the success.
“The company did not just let us go, but continued to foster us by providing an opportunity to do comparative studies out of the island, namely Bali, and we were given a direct assistance from the Batanghari District Animal Husbandry Agency”, Sumaryo explained.
The proven result of Makarti Utama in developing cattle becomes the pride of the village. “The number of cows increased significantly, from 21 to 120 in almost 10 years”, Sumaryo said.
GM PT Inti Indosawit Subur, Muhammad, said that this CSR program could inspire communities to seek alternative income, especially to support the welfare of oil palm farmers. “If one day a farmer is going to do replanting, they have choices for different sources of income. Livestock business such as Makarti Utama can be emulated and developed in other groups or villages since there are animal feed ingredients available surrounding oil palm plantations”, Muhammad said.
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). The company has also been 100% 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:
Maria Sidabutar
Head Corporate Communications
E-mail: maria_sidabutar@www.asianagri.com
DID: +62 21 2301 119
