As we enter the dry season, Asian Agri has signed a memorandum of understanding with 10 villages in Riau and Jambi Provinces to continue to prevent fire through the Fire Free Village Program (FFVP).
In Riau Province, the five villages are Segati Village, Tambak Village, Rantau Baru Village, Lubuk Ogong Village and Bagan Lindau Village. Meanwhile in Jambi Province, the five villages are Teriti Village, Tuo Sumay Village, Muara Sekalo Village, Suo-Suo Village, and Semambu Village.
Hafiz Hazalin Sinaga, Manager of Asian Agri’s Fire Free Village Program, said he hopes the agreement will help reduce the number of village fires. “Through the Fire Free Village Program, we not only involve the community directly, but also collaborate with village officials, government agencies, TNI, Polri, and other relevant stakeholders,” he said.
Hafiz added that since the start of the Fire Free Village program in Jambi in 2017, it has proven effective in preventing fire.
“Before FFVP, on average a village would experience about 20 hectares of burned land, but since joining the FFVP, two villages, namely Muara Sekalo Village and Teriti Village, have recorded zero fires, while the other villages only have around 2 hectares per year. For their significant success, these five villages won an award from the Tebo Police Chief as Tangguh Karhutla Village last year,” said Hafiz.
Asian Agri’s Fire-Free Village Program began in 2016 with the aim of working with local communities to increase awareness of forest and land fires and provide alternatives to clearing land through burning.
