Kutai Kartanegara- PT Pertamina Hulu Mahakam (PHM) conducted the inaugural harvest of organic agriculture through the Mahakam Partnership Program, a CSR program by PHM in the development of organic agriculture resulting from collaboration with the Maju Bersama Farmer Group and the State Polytechnic of Agriculture (Politani) Samarinda. The harvest occurred at the demonstration plot site in Kutai Lama Village, Anggana, Kutai Kartanegara, on February 22nd. Frans Alexander A. Hukom, the Head of Communication Relations & CID at PHM, disclosed that the Mahakam Partnership Program is among PHM's CSR initiatives in the economic sphere. It represents PHM's commitment to empowering farmer groups surrounding the Company's operational area.

"In this program, PHM encourages the gradual development of organic farming methods through organic farming training for farmers, smart farming technology utilization training, introduction to organic rice products, and increasing the Planting Index, or IP, from the initial IP 200 to IP 300. A planting pattern with IP 300 means three harvests per year," explained Frans.

Based on the sample collection by the Anggana Agriculture Extension Center, the estimated yield of the inaugural harvest of the Mahakam Partnership Program was 5.7 tons per hectare. The types of rice planted were Red Rice, Inbrida C2, and Mayas varieties.

"The Mahakam Partnership Program was initiated in 2022 by empowering 80 farmers from four farmer groups. The hope is that this program can help ensure the availability of healthy staple foods for the community at affordable prices," said Frans.

Participants in the inaugural harvest event included the Village Heads (Kades) of Kutai Lama, Handel Terusan, Sidomulyo, and representatives from the Anggana Sub-District, Anggana Agriculture and Livestock Extension Center, as well as other community groups.

One of the program participants, Rahmat Amin, revealed that initially, his farmer group used chemical materials 100 percent. Currently, the percentage of organic materials used has shifted to 50 percent. "Previously, our planting season was only twice a year. Currently, our planting season has increased to three times a year, resulting in larger yields and improved quality," explained Amin.

On a separate occasion, the Manager of Communication Relations & CID at PT Pertamina Hulu Indonesia, Dony Indrawan, conveyed the PHI's commitment to continue implementing innovative and sustainable CSR programs to support community empowerment, especially in the economic field. Dony believes that an independent community will be able to support PHI's operations and the sustainability of oil and gas production to meet national energy needs.

"In line with Pertamina's policy to continue supporting Indonesia's development, the Mahakam Partnership Program is one implementation of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG). This program supports efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially Goal 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth," he added.

According to Dony, according to the program's roadmap, this year (2024), the change in planting behavior is targeted to reach 70 percent organic and 30 percent chemical. Furthermore, next year, it is expected to reach 100 percent organic.

"At present, the Company is preparing for the development of innovations in rice and giant freshwater prawn, as well as preparations for organic rice certification," he concluded.

PT Pertamina Hulu Mahakam (PHM) is a subsidiary of PT Pertamina Hulu Indonesia (PHI) that manages upstream oil and gas operations by Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles in the Mahakam Working Area in East Kalimantan. Through collaboration with SKK Migas, PHM, along with other PHI subsidiaries and affiliates, implements innovative Corporate Social Responsibility Program in the fields of Economics, Education, Health, Environment, Infrastructure, and Disaster Response to support sustainable community empowerment and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). PHI's headquarters is in Jakarta. More information about PHI is available at https://phi.pertamina.com.