Bunyu– PT Pertamina EP (PEP) Bunyu Field supports increasing student literacy about broiler chicken farming and hydroponic farming through a webinar organized by Mulawarman University (UNMUL) entitled Bunyu Independent Food Security (09/09/2023).

In this webinar, PEP Bunyu explained the Company's two flagship CSR programs, namely the Kentungan Pak ABO (Broiler Chicken Farming Profit Pocket) Program, which is engaged in developing broiler chicken farming, and the Hydroponic Green Village Program, which encourages the development of hydroponic farming on Bunyu Island.

Attended by around 50 students representing several universities, this webinar presented speakers, including UNMUL Faculty of Agriculture Lecturer Prof. Dr. Sc. Agr. Nurhasanah, SP, M.Sc.; UNMUL Forestry Faculty Lecturer Kiswanto; S.Hut., MP, Ph.D, Local Hero Munsih Hydroponic Green Village Program; Local Hero Program Kentungan Pak ABO, Daniel Rangan; and Pertamina Zone 10 ComRel & CID Officer Asih Soenarih.

Bunyu Field Senior Manager Andry Sehang explained that the Company continues to support local government programs through the Company's CSR programs so that it can create benefits and value that are shared (creating shared value).

"The Kentungan Pak ABO and Kampung Hijau Hydroponic programs are implemented around the PEP Bunyu Field operational area in East Bunyu Village, South Bunyu Village, and West Bunyu Village as a form of company support for government programs, namely Bunyu Independent Food Security (BUTANI)," he said.

Andry added that through these two CSR programs, PEP Bunyu Field continues to support the provision of healthier and better quality independent food in the Bunyu District area, Bulungan Regency, North Kalimantan Province. This aligns with efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2, namely no hunger, and goal 8, namely decent work and economic growth.

"Various activities are carried out in the Kentungan Pak ABO Program to improve the quality of the Harapan Baru Livestock Farmers Group's broiler chicken rearing, including outreach and education regarding raising chickens that meet livestock rearing standards, supporting infrastructure, as well as Innovation in the Firewood Brooder Tool (Si Abu Bakar) "which uses a wooden heat source to deliver hot air to the chicken coop and has succeeded in reducing the death rate of chickens," explained Andry.

Regarding the Hydroponic Village program, Andry revealed that in assisting partners fostered by the Women's Farmers Group (KWT) Amanah and KWT Vegetable Gardens, PEP Bunyu Field provided education on hydroponic agricultural cultivation, assistance with supporting infrastructure, access to marketing of hydroponic plant products, and Good Fern Innovation.

"Good Fern's innovation utilizes the endemic plant red fern root (Steno Chlaena Palustris), which is often considered a weed as an alternative hydroponic growing medium so that it can accelerate plant growth from additional nutrient content at a cheaper cost," explained Andry.

UNMUL Faculty of Agriculture lecturer Nurhasanah explained that one of the factors in the decline in young people's interest in farming is that only a few people facilitate agricultural technology exhibitions, so their view of agriculture is limited to conventional farming.

"Even though there is hydroponics, a form of modern agriculture. "We hope that the hydroponic system can create interest in returning to farming, especially with support from PEP Bunyu, which has carried out hydroponic farming, it can be an example to increase enthusiasm for agriculture everywhere," he said.

PT Pertamina EP (PEP) Bunyu Field is part of the Pertamina Regional 3 Upstream Subholding, which PHI leads. In carrying out the management of upstream oil and gas operations and business by Environment, Social, Governance (ESG) principles, PEP Bunyu Field, together with other PHI subsidiaries and affiliates, carries out innovative Social and Environmental Responsibility programs in the fields of Economy, Education, Health, Environment, Infrastructure and Disaster Response to support sustainable community empowerment and achieving Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs). PHI's headquarters is in Jakarta. More information about PHI is available at https://phi.pertamina.com.