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KILAS COMMDEV Edisi I Januari 2012 / Edition I January 2012

PENGANTAR / FOREWORD

Program community development (Commdev) merupakan upaya PT Vale Indonesia Tbk dalam mendukung pemerintah dan masyarakat meningkatkan kemandirian dan kesejahteraan hidup.

Kilas Commdev kali ini mencoba mengangkat aktivitas pemberdayaan masyarakat khususnya pada masyarakat pesisir, usaha pertanian yang terintegrasi, serta usaha mikro, kecil, dan menengah di empat kecamatan di Luwu Timur.

Publikasi ini terbit setiap 3 bulan sekali dan diharapkan menjadi media komunikasi antara perusahaan dengan seluruh pemangku kepentingan dengan menjunjung semangat akuntabilitas

The community development (Commdev) program is an effort by PT Vale Indonesia Tbk to support government and community for achieving self-sufficiency and welfare.

This edition looks at the implementation of community development programs, particularly within coastal communities, integrated agricultural enterprises and

dan transparansi. Edisi Pertama 2012 ini menampilkan beberapa program Commdev 2011. Semoga ini bisa membantu tim Vale Indonesia dan pemangku kepentingan sebagai kajian refleksi, guna meningkatkan hal yang sudah berjalan baik. Sekaligus menjadi momentum memperbaiki mekanisme yang belum sempurna.

small and medium enterprises in four subdistricts in Luwu Timur Regency.

The Commdev in Brief will be published every 3 months and expected to become communication media for Vale Indonesia and its stakeholders to uphold the spirit of accountability and transparency. This first edition in 2012 features Commdev program in 2011. Hope this publication can help Vale Indonesia’s team and stakeholders as reflection, to maintain things that already work well. And as momentum for improving and implementing mechanisms which has not worked well enough.

SudarmonoAct General Manager Community Relations PT Vale Indonesia Tbk

A Brief of Our Community Development Activities

EDISI I KIL AS COMMDE V - PT Vale I ndonesia Tbk .

Sorowako Green Community: Menyulap Sampah Kertas Jadi Suvenir

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Mampu mengolah puluhan kilogram sampah kertas setiap hari.

Sebuah rumah di Sorowako, terisi berbagai pajangan. Ada guci, patung kuda, rusa, lukisan timbul, dan berbagai miniatur. “Semuanya terbuat dari kertas daur ulang,” ujar Hasan Basri, Ketua Sorowako Green Community (SGC). Pajangan-pajangan itu merupakan buah kreativitas SGC.

SGC adalah kelompok perajin suvenir berbahan sampah binaan Vale Indonesia. Saat ini mereka masih sebatas mengolah sampah kertas. Ide pembentukan SGC baru muncul Januari 2010. Ketika itu, Hasan dan beberapa temannya berusaha mencari aktivitas yang produktif.

“Sampah kertas kami pilih karena banyak dibuang begitu saja dan mudah ditemui di Sorowako,” kata Hasan. Mereka kemudian melakukan percobaan mendaur ulang kertas dan berhasil menemukan formula paling ideal.

Pertengahan 2010, SGC mendapat dukungan dana dari Vale Indonesia. Dana itu digunakan untuk membeli perlengkapan sablon dan mesin cetak

kertas. Untuk bahan baku, SGC juga didukung pasokan sampah kertas dari Vale Indonesia, selain mencari sendiri dari rumah-rumah warga di Sorowako. “Sehari kami bisa mengolah puluhan kilogram sampah kertas,” tambah Hasan.

SGC dimotori enam orang pekerja kreatif. Mereka berasal dari berbagai latar belakang keahlian. Ada yang pintar melukis, melipat kertas, sampai ahli mencetak kertas. Untuk tenaga tambahan, SGC merangkul anak-anak muda dan ibu-ibu sekitar untuk membantu produksi. Pekerja tambahan itu juga diberi honor.

Kini, pajangan dan suvenir SGC mulai menyebar ke berbagai daerah. Bahkan mereka kerap mengikuti pameran produk-produk UKM yang digelar di Makassar dan Jakarta. Dengan mengikuti banyak pameran, jaringan dan penetrasi pasar SGC juga semakin luas.

SGC mematok harga setiap karyanya antara Rp25 ribu hingga Rp1 juta. Dari hasil penjualan itu, setiap perajin mendapat upah per bulan antara Rp500 ribu-Rp1 juta. Menurut Hasan, membuat suvenir dari kertas tidak rumit. Syaratnya hanya kemauan dan ide. Adakah kelompok lain yang tertarik?


Sorowako Green Community: Turning Waste Paper into Souvenirs

NUHA

Dozens kilograms of waste paper processed daily.

Some house in Sorowako, is packed with ornaments. There are jars, figures of horses and deer, textured paintings and various miniatures. “All are made from recycled paper,” said Hasan Basri, head of Sorowako Green Community (SGC). All the decorations are the creation of SGC.

SGC is a group of waste-material based handicraft artists supported by Vale Indonesia. Currently they are limited to using waste paper. The idea of forming SGC emerged in January 2010 when Hasan and a few colleagues sought a form of productive activity.

“We chose paper because a lot of it was just thrown away and easily found in Sorowako,” Hasan said. They then experimented with recycling the paper before finally discovering an ideal formula.

In mid 2010, SGC received financial assistance from Vale Indonesia. The funds were used to buy screening facilities and paper printing machinery. SGC gets its supply of waste paper, as raw material,

from Vale as well as from searches around houses in Sorowako. “In one day, we manage to process dozens of kilograms waste paper,” Hasan added.

SGC’s operation is run by six creative workers. They have a variety of skills and include experts in painting, paper-folding and printing. Extra workers required by SGC for the production process are mainly youth and women who are paid allowances.

Now SGC’s ornaments and souvenirs can be found throughout the region. The group often participates in small and medium enterprise (SME) exhibitions held in Makassar and Jakarta. With the increase in their attendance at exhibitions, the extent of their business networks and market penetration has also improved.

SGC puts a price tag of between IDR25,000 and IDR1 million for each creation. From the sales income, each artist can take home a monthly wage between IDR500,000 to IDR1 million a month. According to Hasan, souvenirs made from paper are not hard to make and merely require willpower and a few ideas. Any other group interested?

02EDISI I KIL AS COMMDE V - PT Vale I ndonesia Tbk .

NUHA

Kotamata: Memasok Jamur Merang Hingga Morowali

Berawal dari pelatihan budidaya jamur merang yang dilakukan oleh Vale Indonesia.

Mereka berdedikasi dan masih muda. Ya, inilah pembudidaya jamur merang bernama Kelompok Tani Muda Lingkar Tambang (Kotamata) yang dimotori para pemuda usia 18-35 tahun. Usaha mereka juga masih muda, baru berdiri Januari 2011 lalu. Kini, Kotamata memiliki dua unit kubung (rumah budidaya jamur merang) yang mampu menghasilkan 40 kilogram jamur merang setiap kali panen.

Usia panen jamur merang (Volvariella volvacea) cukup cepat. Tiga belas hari setelah bibit berupa spora ditanam, jamur telah dapat dipanen hingga 20 hari berturut-turut. Meski demikian, budidaya jamur merang tidaklah mudah. Tanaman kaya vitamin ini dikenal “manja”, karena memerlukan kelembaban yang pas, suhu yang stabil, tempat yang bersih, dan tidak terkontaminasi zat kimia.

Namun berkat ilmu yang didapat dari pelatihan teknologi pembudidayaan jamur merang yang diselenggarakan Vale Indonesia, semua tantangan tersebut dapat dilalui oleh Kotamata. Kini hasil jamur merang Kotamata bukan hanya dipasok untuk Sorowako, melainkan sampai ke Morowali, Sulawesi Tengah.

“Untuk Sorowako kami biasanya memasok 30 dos. Sedangkan untuk Morowali sebanyak 100 dos setiap hari,” ujar Sukri Nur, Ketua Kotamata. Setiap dos berisi 30 ons jamur merang dengan harga Rp15 ribu.

Ke depan, Kotamata yang kini memiliki enam orang anggota, akan menambah kubung guna meningkatkan kapasitas produksi. “Rencananya satu kubung saja dan akan dibangun di Wawondula, Kecamatan Towuti,” ujar Sukri. Semoga harapan Kotamata itu terealisasi. 03


Kotamata: Supplying Straw Mushrooms to Morowali

NUHA

It all started with a straw-mushroom cultivation training program by Vale Indonesia.

They are dedicated and young. They are straw-mushroom cultivators belonging to the Lingkar Tambang Young Farmers Group (Kotamata) – a group run by 18 to 35-year-olds. Their enterprise is also young, having been founded in January 2011. Now Kotamata has two units of kubung (straw-mushroom cultivation houses) which produce 40 kilograms of straw mushrooms per harvest.

The harvesting age for straw mushrooms (Volvariella volvacea) is short. Thirteen days after the spawns are planted mushrooms can be harvested for 20 days in a row. But cultivating straw mushrooms is not easy. Highly nutritious, the mushrooms are in fact known to be “fussy”, requiring the right level of humidity, stable room temperatures and a clean growing area uncontaminated by chemicals.

Thanks to advice from instructors at a straw-mushroom cultivation training program held by Vale Indonesia, Kotamata has managed to overcome these challenges. Currently Kotamata straw mushrooms are distributed not only to Sorowako but to Morowali, Central Sulawesi, as well. “For Sorowako, we usually supply 30 boxes. For Morowali, we send 100 boxes a day,” said Sukri Nur, head of Kotamata. Each box, containing 30 ounces of straw mushrooms, is sold for IDR15,000.

In future, Kotamata, which consists of six members, plans to add another straw-mushroom cultivation house to increase its production capacity. “We plan to have just one more kubung, which will be built in Wawondula, Towuti Subdistrict,” said Sukri. Hopefully Kotamata will be able to achieve its goal.

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Setiap hari menghasilkan 600 butir telur.

Di perbukitan Wasuponda, Desa Tabarano, yang berjarak sekitar tiga kilometer dari pusat Kecamatan Wasuponda, terdapat empat banjar kandang ayam petelur. Kandang itu, yang berkapasitas 1.000 ayam, milik Kelompok Ayam Petelur Korontinondo dan Kelompok Konde Manu.

Pada 2009, Desa Tabarano dijadikan pilot project Program Commdev Vale Indonesia untuk diversifikasi pertanian, yakni berupa ayam petelur. Dua kelompok tersebut dipercaya sebagai motor di lapangan.

Sekarang, Kelompok Korontinondo dan Konde Manu memiliki 470 ekor ayam petelur yang mampu menghasilkan 600 butir telur setiap hari dalam 20 rak. Telur-telur itu kemudian disalurkan ke 10 kios rekanan yang ada di Wasuponda. Setiap rak telur dijual Rp26 ribu, lebih rendah Rp1.000 dari harga pemasok luar Wasuponda.

Pasokan ke kios-kios itu dilakukan per tiga hari. Omzet kelompok yang masing-masing beranggotakan lima dan delapan anggota ini bisa mencapai Rp90 juta per tahun. “Sebenarnya pasarnya masih besar. Soalnya untuk Wasuponda saja, kebutuhan telur setiap hari mencapai 200 rak. Sementara kami baru mampu menyuplai 20 rak,” ujar Albertus Malaka, Ketua Korontinondo.

Aswar Anwar, pendamping Program Commdev Area Wasuponda untuk sektor peternakan unggas, membenarkan kalkulasi Albertus. “Saat ini kami berupaya untuk menjadi sentra telur. Kalau sudah berproduksi baik, maka Wasuponda sudah tidak perlu lagi membeli telur dari luar,” tambah Aswar. Untuk itu, menurut Aswar dan Albertus, diperlukan dukungan yang berkelanjutan dari Vale Indonesia, untuk menjadikan tempat ini sebagai sentra ayam petelur.

Kedua kelompok juga berharap langkah mereka diikuti oleh yang lain. “Target kami meningkatkan kapasitas produksi. Caranya dengan merangkul masyarakat agar mau membuka usaha ayam petelur. Minimal bertambah lima kelompok lagi dengan jumlah ayam masing-masing 1.000 ekor,” ujar Albertus.

Korontinondo dan Konde Manu: Menuju Sentra Ayam Petelur

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Every day, 600 eggs are produced by layer hens.

In the Wasuponda hills, Tabarano Village – located about three kilometers from the center of Wasuponda Subdistrict – is home to four lots of chicken coops purposely built for egg-laying hens. The coops, which have a capacity of 1,000 chickens, belong to the Korontinondo Layer Hens Group and the Konde Manu Group.

In 2009, Tabarano Village became the location of a layer-hen pilot project conducted under Vale Indonesia’s Commdev Program in agricultural diversification. The two groups were entrusted to carry out the project in the field.

Now the Korontinondo and Konde Manu groups have 470 egg-laying hens producing 600 eggs a day in 20 trays. The eggs are distributed to 10 partner stores in Wasuponda. Each tray is sold for IDR26,000; this is IDR1,000 less than the asking price of suppliers from outside Wasuponda.

Eggs are supplied to partner stores once every three days. Turnover of the two groups – which have five and eight members, respectively – reach IDR90 million a year.“There is actually still a big market out there. Even for Wasuponda, the demand for eggs is 200 trays; we are only able to supply 20 trays,” said Albertus Malaka, the head of Korontinondo group.

Aswar Anwar, an facilitator in the poultry farming section of the Wasuponda Area Commdev Program, agreed with Albertus’ calculations. “At the moment we are trying to become a center for egg production. Once we start producing steadily, Wasuponda will no longer need to buy eggs from outside,” added Aswar. To achieve this, Aswar and Albertus said, it is necessary to have continued support from Vale Indonesia, particular in terms of financial assistance. To become a center for egg-laying hens.

The two groups hope others will follow in their footsteps. “Our target is to increase production capacity. We are doing this by urging other community members to become layer-hen entrepreneurs. We would like to see at least five more groups with 1,000 chickens each,” Albertus said.

Korontinondo and Konde Manu on Track to Become Center for Egg-Laying Hens

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Sepekan memasok 1.500 ekor.

Hasmani, Bendahara Kelompok Ternak Berkah, sibuk membersihkan bulu-bulu ayam broiler yang habis dipotong. Dia dibantu enam orang pekerja wanita lainnya yang berasal dari kelompok tani lain. “Kalau tidak dibantu mereka, kami bisa kelabakan memenuhi permintaan,” ujar Hasmani.

Ungkapan Hasmani itu bukan mengada-ada. Permintaan ayam potong broiler Berkah memang cukup tinggi. Dalam sepekan mereka bisa menjual sedikitnya 1.500 ekor ayam berusia 36 hari.

Permintaan itu datang dari pelanggan yang merupakan pedagang ayam di Wasuponda, Wawondula, hingga Timampu. Setiap kilogram ayam dipatok Rp23 ribu. Sebenarnya, distribusi penjualan ayam broiler Berkah sampai ke Morowali, Sulawesi Tengah. Tapi mereka baru sanggup memasok dua kali dalam sepekan.

Kelompok Ternak Berkah di Desa Balambano, Wasuponda ini, berdiri awal 2010 dan beranggotakan lima orang. Usaha mereka maju cukup signifikan. Ketika awal berdiri, kata Tambunan, Ketua Pembina Kelompok Berkah, kapasitas produksi ayam potong sebanyak 1.000 ekor per pekan. Setahun kemudian, ketika mendapat dukungan Program Commdev Vale Indonesia, kapasitas ayam potong menjadi 1.500 ekor. “Jumlah ayam segitu ludes dalam satu pekan,” ujar Tambunan bangga.

Untuk menjaga pasokan usaha, Berkah membuat empat kandang ayam potong berukuran 21 x 4 meter. Itu pun sebenarnya hanya mampu menampung 10.000 ekor ayam. “Pelan-pelan akan kami tingkatkan kapasitasnya dari yang ada saat ini,” tambah Tambunan.

Peternakan ayam adalah salah satu usaha masyarakat yang perlu didukung, karena memiliki pangsa pasar yang besar. “Setiap hari orang membutuhkan ayam

untuk konsumsi hingga hajatan,” ujar Tambunan. Untuk wilayah Wasuponda saja, kebutuhan ayam potong mencapai 5.000 ekor per hari. “Itu baru konsumsi rumah tangga, belum termasuk kebutuhan katering. Hitungannya sudah ton,” tambah Tambunan.

Tambahan penghasilan pun dapat diperoleh dari kotoran ayam yang dimanfaatkan sebagai pupuk kandang. Dari empat kandang Berkah yang ada saat ini, pupuk kandang yang dihasilkan bisa mencapai 100 sak (setiap sak 50 kg) dan laku dijual Rp20 ribu per sak. Ke depan, Berkah berencana membangun satu kandang baru berkapasitas 2.000 ekor ayam.

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Kelompok Ternak Berkah: Prospek Usaha Ayam Potong Menjanjikan

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Berkah Poultry Farmers Group: Promising Prospects for Broiler Chicken Enterprises

Providing supplies of 1,500 chickens a week.

Hasmani, the treasurer of Berkah Poultry Farmers Group, was busy plucking the feathers from a broiler chicken that had just been slaughtered. She was assisted by six other female workers who came from other farmers’ groups. “Without their help, we would not be able to meet customer demands,” Hasmani said.

She is not exaggerating. Demand for Berkah broiler chickens is high and at least 1,500 chickens aged 36 days old can be sold in a week.

The high demand comes from chicken vendors in Wasuponda, Wawondula and Timampu. A kilogram of chicken is currently priced at IDR23,000. The distribution network for Berkah broiler chickens has in fact reached Morowali, Central Sulawesi, but deliveries there can only be made twice a week.

Berkah Poultry Farmers Group, which is based in Balambano Village, Wasuponda, was established in early 2010 and consists of five members. They have since made significant progress. When they first started, according to Tambunan, the chief advisor of Berkah Group, production stood at 1,000 chickens a week. A year later, after receiving support from Vale Indonesia’s Commdev Program, production capacity increased to 1,500 chickens. “All those chickens are gone in a week,” Tambunan said proudly.

To maintain its production levels, Berkah has four chicken coops measuring 21x4 meters, which can accommodate 10,000 broiler chickens. “We will gradually increase the capacity up from our current levels,” added Tambunan.

Farming chicken for meat is a community enterprise that should be supported on account of its large market. “People consume chicken for daily meals and big celebrations alike,” said Tambunan. In

Wasuponda alone, the demand for broiler chickens is 5,000 a day. “That just covers household consumption and doesn’t include catering needs. It all adds up to several tons,” added Tambunan.

Additional income can be made from chicken manure, which is used as fertilizer. Berkah’s four chicken coops currently produce up to 100 sacks of fertilizer (each sack weighing in at 50 kilograms), which can be sold at IDR20,000 a sack. In future, Berkah plans to build a new coop to house 2,000 chickens.


Dengan pupuk kocor, hasil panen kakao petani meningkat 100 persen.

Penduduk Desa Parumpanai, sekitar 20 kilometer dari Wasuponda, hidup dari pertanian. Mereka menanam padi, nilam, hingga sawit. Tapi pertanian kakao merupakan yang terbesar. Pada awal 2000, hama menyerang ratusan hektare kebun kakao. Buahnya menjadi keras, batangnya berlubang, dan daunnya menguning. Ketika itu, hampir semua petani putus asa dan menebang pohon kakaonya.

Sepuluh tahun kemudian, Vale Indonesia melalui program Commdev memperkenalkan teknologi pupuk non-kimiawi berbahan baku kotoran kambing. Namanya pupuk kocor. Inilah jenis pupuk yang disebut-sebut mampu memulihkan zat hara tanah sekaligus menambah imunitas kakao terhadap serangan hama. Pengenalan teknologi itu dilakukan melalui workshop dan penyuluhan.

Vale Indonesia juga memberikan modal usaha bagi petani yang tergabung dalam Kelompok Tani Tunas Harapan untuk membeli 50 kambing. Dari hasil kotoran kambing itu, kelompok yang beranggotakan 30 orang dengan luas lahan kakao mencapai 100 hektare itu, memproduksi pupuk kocor. Hasilnya,

Kelompok Tani Tunas Harapan: Pupuk Kocor dari Desa Parumpanai

tanaman kakao mereka yang telah sekarat perlahan kembali subur. Buah kakao mulai melunak, ulat-ulat penggerek batang juga mulai berkurang. “Alhamdulillah, selama menggunakan kocor, kakao mulai lebat dan sehat. Termasuk membasmi hama yang selama ini kami lakukan dengan kimia, tapi selalu gagal. Padahal kami awalnya tidak yakin dengan kocor,” ujar Ketua Tunas Harapan, Hj. Bunga Intan.

Pupuk kocor bukan hanya memulihkan produksi kakao petani, melainkan memangkas ketergantungan terhadap pupuk kimia yang mahal. Bayangkan, untuk satu hektare lahan, petani membutuhkan 30 sak dari tiga macam pupuk kimia. Setiap jenisnya seharga Rp110 ribu-Rp135 ribu.

Dengan pupuk kocor, petani cukup memanfaatkan kotoran kambing sebagai bahan baku. Dari 50 ekor kambing didapatkan 10 drum pupuk kocor untuk satu hektare lahan selama sebulan. Hasilnya, produksi meningkat hingga 400 kilogram per hektare dari sebelumnya hanya 200 kilogram per hektare.

Menurut Ketua Kelompok Tani Bersinar, Aminuddin, sebelum masyarakat Parumpanai mengenal teknologi pupuk kocor, dia adalah pemasok pupuk kimia terbesar di desanya. Tapi kini, dia sudah melupakan pupuk kimia itu.

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Tunas Harapan Farmers Group: Kocor Fertilizer from Parumpanai Village

Kocor fertilizer increases cacao yield by 100 percent.

The people of Parumpanai Village, located 20 kilometers from Wasuponda, make a living from agricultural production. They grow rice, patchouli and oil palm. But cacao is their main commodity. In early 2000, hundreds of hectares of cacao plantations were attacked by a disease, causing fruit to harden, tree trunks to become hole-ridden and leaves to turn yellow. At the time, cacao farmers were driven to despair and most ended up clear-cutting their crop.

Ten years later, Vale Indonesia through its Commdev Program introduced a non-chemical fertilizing technology based on goat manure known as kocor. This fertilizer is believed to be capable of replenishing soil nutrient content and increasing the resistance of cacao plants against diseases. The introduction of the new technology was carried out in workshops and counseling programs.

Vale Indonesia also provided working capital assistance to cacao farmers from Tunas Harapan Farmers Group for buying 50 goats. Manure collected from the goats allowed the group – consisting of 30 members working 100 hectares of cacao plantations – to produce kocor fertilizer. The result was a revival of the

farmers’ dying cacao plants and the return of their fertility; the cacao fruit softened and stem borer caterpillars decreased in numbers. “Alhamdulillah, since using kocor our cacao plants have become lush and healthy. Also, kocor has managed to root out pests we have unsuccessfully tried all this time to eradicate with chemicals. Admittedly, we were unsure of kocor to start with,” said Tunas Harapan leader, Hj. Bunga Intan.

Kocor fertilizer did not only revive the farmers’ cacao production, it also eliminated farmers’ dependency on expensive chemical fertilizers: for every hectare of cacao plantation, farmers had been required to use 30 sacks of three different types of chemical fertilizers, each type costing between IDR110,000 and IDR135,000.

Ever since, cacao production has increased to 400 kilograms a hectare, from a previous average yield of only 200 kilograms a hectare.

According to the head of Bersinar Farmers Group, Aminuddin, before the Parumpanai community was introduced to kocor, he had been the biggest chemical fertilizer supplier in the village. Now, he chooses to forget about chemical fertilizers.

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KSU Maju Bersama: Aroma Nilam dari Desa Laskap

MALILI

Mengejar peningkatan produksi sekaligus menyuluh pertanian yang baik.

Beranggotakan 25 orang, Koperasi Serba Usaha (KSU) Maju Bersama, Desa Laskap, menuai hasil panen nilam (Pogostemon cablin Benth) yang cukup signifikan. Sejak berdiri 2010, pada akhir November lalu, koperasi ini untuk pertama kalinya mengapalkan 1,9 ton minyak nilam ke perusahaan di Jakarta yang merupakan rekanan mereka. “Ini angka terbesar pengiriman. Sebelumnya kami hanya mengirim 400-800 kilogram,” ujar Ketua KSU Maju Bersama Muhammad Arfa.

Sejak awal berdiri, Maju Bersama sebenarnya sudah mandiri. Arfa bahkan mampu mengumpulkan semangat petani dan membangun instalasi penyulingan minyak nilam berkapasitas 400 kilogram. Setiap anggotanya memiliki lahan seluas 5,5 hektare.Maju Bersama telah panen sebanyak lima kali dengan rata-rata volume mencapai 600 kilogram minyak nilam. “Nilam ini merupakan komoditas yang sangat bagus. Tapi belum banyak orang yang tahu dan mau menanamnya,” ujar Arfa. Harga minyak nilam saat ini di kisaran Rp325 ribu per kilogram. Dari lahan seluas satu hektare bisa dihasilkan enam ton nilam kering yang dapat menghasilkan minyak sebanyak 90 kilogram.

Maju Bersama telah menjadi relasi usaha dan salah satu pemasok minyak nilam untuk PT Aroma, sebuah perusahaan kosmetik berbasis di Jakarta. “Saat ini, Luwu Timur mampu memproduksi tujuh ton minyak nilam per bulan. Tapi masih kalah besar dengan kapasitas Aceh dan Lampung,” tambah Arfa.

Ke depan, Maju Bersama menargetkan penambahan kapasitas produksi dan peningkatan keahlian petani nilam. Rencana peningkatan kapasitas dilakukan dengan optimalisasi dan perluasan lahan. Penambahan lahan juga akan dilakukan di Desa Parumpanai mulai tahun depan. Maju Bersama juga akan menambah dua ketel penyulingan minyak nilam berkapasitas 800 kilogram. Sebelumnya, kelompok ini telah memiliki tiga ketel berkapasitas hampir 1.000 kilogram sekali olah. “Penambahan ketel itu atas dukungan Vale,” ujar dia.

Untuk peningkatan kapasitas petani, Arfa sangat mengharapkan adanya penyuluhan rutin dan intensif dari Dinas Pertanian Kabupaten Luwu Timur tentang prospek usaha dan cara tanam nilam yang baik. “Untuk hal itu, kami sudah melakukan studi banding ke beberapa daerah penghasil nilam terbaik, seperti di Lampung dan Sumatera Utara. Tapi kami berharap pemerintah mau berpartisipasi untuk penyadaran ini,” Arfa menegaskan.

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Maju Bersama Multipurpose Cooperative: the Scent of Patchouli from Laskap Village

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Pursuing higher production and better agricultural counseling.

The 25-member of KSU Maju Bersama in Laskap Village recently harvested a significant yield of patchouli (Pogostemon cablin Benth.). Then, for the first time since its foundation in November 2010, the cooperative shipped 1.9 tons of patchouli oil to a partner company in Jakarta. “This is the biggest shipment we have ever made. In the past, since this KSU was founded, we have only managed to send 400 to 800 kilograms,” said head of KSU Maju Bersama Muhammad Arfa.

Maju Bersama has in fact been self-sufficient since the day it was founded; Arfa had managed to encourage farmers to build a patchouli oil distillation plant with a capacity of 400 kilograms. Each member owns 5.5 hectares of land. Maju Bersama has had five harvests, each yielding an average volume of 600 kilograms of patchouli oil. “Patchouli is a very good commodity, but not many people know about it or are willing to plant it,” said Arfa. Patchouli oil is currently sold for about IDR325,000 per kilogram. A one-hectare field can yield six tons of dry patchouli which can be made into 90 kilograms of oil.

Maju Bersama has become a business partner and supplier for PT Aroma, a cosmetics company based in Jakarta. “At the moment, Luwu Timur is able to produce seven tons oil a month. This is still not as much as the capacities of Aceh and Lampung,” added Arfa.

Maju Bersama plans to increase its production capacity and upgrade the skills of its patchouli farmers. Arfa said increasing production capacity will be achieved through product optimization and by expanding planting areas to Parumpanai Village starting next year.

Maju Bersama will also add two patchouli oil distillation kettles with a capacity of 800 kilograms. The group already has three kettles with a capacity of almost 1,000 kilograms per processing cycle. “We have Vale’s support for the additional kettles,” said the father of four.

Maju Bersama have done comparative studies with some of Indonesia’s best patchouli producers in Lampung and North Sumatra. “We also hope the government’s participation in this awareness building program,” Arfa said.

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MALILI

Gapoktan Mario Marennu: Spesialis Budidaya Rumput Laut

Menjadi rekanan perusahaan agar-agar nasional.

Semula mereka petani sawah, kemudian beralih ke budidaya rumput laut. Inilah cerita tentang Mario Marennu, gabungan kelompok tani yang menuai keuntungan dari budidaya tanaman kaya serat itu. Mario Marennu berdiri 1997 dengan 10 orang anggota, yang sebagian besar memilih usaha budidaya rumput laut.

Vale memberi dukungan modal usaha melalui program Commdev pada 2006 dengan pembelian bibit rumput laut jenis Gracillaria sp. Ketika itu anggota Mario Marennu telah mencapai 40 orang dengan luas lahan 20 hektare.

Pada 2007, harga jual rumput laut melonjak dari Rp1.500 per kilogram menjadi Rp6.000 per kilogram. Pada 2007-2010, anggota Mario Marennu juga bertambah menjadi 60 orang. Pada 2011 jumlah anggotanya telah mencapai 87 orang dengan luas lahan 100 hektare lebih.

Perlahan, kelompok ini juga membidik pasar yang lebih baik. Didukung pendampingan dan pembangunan gudang penyimpanan oleh PTI pada 2010, kelompok ini menjadi rekanan PT Agarindo Bogatama, produsen agar-agar nasional sebagai pembeli tetap. “Agarindo meminta sesuai total produksi kami, yakni 75 ton per bulan,” ujar H Sampe Bandaso, Ketua Gapoktan Mario Marennu. 13

Sebenarnya, kata Sampe, potensi pasar dan pembeli rumput laut masih sangat besar. Bahkan belum lama ini, Mario Marennu diminta PT Agarindo Bogatama untuk memenuhi kebutuhan pasokan bahan baku mereka, yakni 400 ton per bulan. “Tapi kami belum mampu segitu. Harga rumput laut saat ini juga sedang merosot menjadi Rp3.500 per kilogram. Tapi, pelan-pelan kami akan menuju ke sana,” tambah Sampe.

Penambahan produksi itu bisa tercapai kalau kelompok tani memiliki tambahan mesin press rumput laut. Saat ini, Mario Marennu baru memiliki satu mesin press seharga Rp60 juta.

Rumput laut merupakan komoditas yang memiliki prospek baik. Dari sisi produksi, rumput laut minim biaya. Kata Sampe, petani cukup memiliki bibit ketika pertama kali menanam. Kemudian, dari hasil tanam itu dapat dihasilkan rumput laut siap jual, sekaligus bibit untuk musim panen selanjutnya.

Tanaman ini juga tidak memerlukan pupuk, meski faktor cuaca sangat memengaruhi mutu rumput laut yang dihasilkan. Usia panennya juga hanya 40 hari. “Sekali panen dengan luas lahan sekitar 15 hektare, bisa meraup Rp45 juta rupiah,” tambah Sampe.


MALILI

Gapoktan Mario Marennu: Specialists in Seaweed Cultivation

Partnering up with a national manufacturer of agar-agar jelly.

They were once rice farmers but they became seaweed cultivators. This is the story of Mario Marennu, an assembly of farmers groups benefitting from the cultivation of this fiber-rich plant. Mario Marennu was founded in 1997 with 10 individual members, most of whom chose to become seaweed cultivators.

Vale through its Commdev Program in 2006 provided working capital to purchase seedlings of the Gracillaria sp. seaweed variety. By then, Mario Marennu had 40 members working an area of 20 hectares. In 2007, seaweed prices rose sharply from IDR1,500 to IDR6,000 per kilogram. Between 2007 and 2010, Mario Marennu’s membership also increased, reaching 60, and later in 2011, to 87 people, cultivating areas in excess of 100 hectares.

Gradually the group managed to target better markets. Backed by a warehouse built in 2010 with assistance from Vale, the group was able to partner up with national agar-agar jelly manufacturer PT Agarindo Bogatama, which became a permanent buyer. “Agarindo captures our total production, which is 75 tons a month,” said H. Sampe Bandaso, head of Gapoktan Mario Marennu.

14

Sampe said there is still great marketing potential and buyer interest for seaweed. In fact, not so long ago PT Agarindo Bogatama invited Mario Marennu to become its sole supplier of raw material, which amounted to 400 tons a month. “But we’re not able to do that. Also, seaweed prices have recently slumped to IDR3,500 per kilogram. But we hope to slowly get there,” added Sampe.

Increasing production levels would be possible if farmers groups were able to acquire additional seaweed pressing machines. Currently, Mario Marennu has only one press, which cost IDR60 million.Seaweed is a commodity with a bright future. In terms of production, seaweed is very cost effective. Sampe said farmers required seedlings only when planting their first crop. From this crop, they could harvest seaweed that would be ready to sell, and also get the seedlings necessary for the next season.

The plant also requires no fertilizer, although weather conditions have a great impact on the quality of seaweed produced. The harvesting age for seaweed is a short 40 days. “A single harvest in an area of about 15 hectares can bring in IDR45 million,” said Sampe.


Setahun bisa tujuh kali panen.

Sekitar 20 orang pria berada di empang sambil menarik jala berukuran raksasa. Tubuh mereka penuh lumpur, keringat menetes deras. Namun air muka mereka tampak bahagia. Akhir November lalu, mereka, yang tergabung dalam Kelompok Tani Bintang Kilat, sedang memanen ikan bandeng dan udang windu hasil budidayanya. “Ini panen keenam tahun ini,” ujar H. Daeng Serang, Ketua Kelompok, sambil menarik jala.

Dalam setahun, kelompok tani ini bisa memanen bandeng dan udang windu sebanyak tujuh kali. Dengan luas areal empang 5,5 hektare, mereka bisa menuai rata-rata tiga ton bandeng dan 600 kilogram udang windu sekali panen. Bandeng-bandeng yang dipanen berukuran super. Rata-rata seberat hampir satu kilogram. Begitu pula udang windunya yang gemuk dan sehat.

Kelompok Tani Bintang Kilat juga memiliki pembeli tetap yang selalu datang langsung ke empang ketika petani memanen. “Kabarnya, bandeng dan udang itu akan dijual di Makassar dan Surabaya,” ujar Daeng.

Empang Kelompok Tani Bintang Kilat berada di Desa Baruga. Dari Dermaga Balantang, Malili, desa yang dulunya rawa ini dapat ditempuh selama 40 menit dengan perahu. Kelompok tani ini, yang berdiri 1998, kini beranggotakan 90 kepala keluarga. “Meski sudah lama ada, panen dalam hitungan ton baru kami rasakan lima tahun terakhir,” tambah Daeng.

Bintang Kilat merupakan salah satu binaan Program Commdev Vale Indonesia. “November lalu kami mendapat bantuan sebesar Rp85 juta. Dana itu sangat meringankan modal usaha petani,” ujar Daeng. Sebab, budidaya bandeng dan udang windu membutuhkan pasokan pupuk Phonska sebagai pakan dalam jumlah yang stabil. Padahal harga pupuk Phonska tidaklah murah.

Satu sak Phonska isi 50 kilogram seharga Rp105 ribu. Untuk menghidupi bandeng dan udang windu di empang seluas 5,5 hektare hingga bisa dipanen (berumur 40 hari), diperlukan sebanyak 720 sak. “Bantuan Vale, setiap petani mendapat delapan sak pupuk atau 400 kilogram. Sebelumnya, petani cuma bisa membeli 100 kilogram,” tambah Daeng.

MALILI

Kelompok Tani Bintang Kilat: Bandeng Super dari Desa Baruga


MALILI

Bintang Kilat Farmers Group: Super Milkfish from Baruga Village

Reaping seven harvests a year.

About 20 men stood on an embankment tugging a gigantic net. They were covered in mud and sweat dripped down their faces. Their expressions, however, were of happiness. It was the end of November and the men, belonging to Bintang Kilat Farmers Group, were harvesting milkfish and tiger prawns they had cultivated. “This is our sixth harvest this year,” said H. Daeng Serang, the group’s leader, as he pulled in the net.

The farmers group is able to harvest milkfish and tiger prawns seven times a year. Fish ponds measuring 5.5 hectares can yield three tons of milkfish and 600 kilograms of tiger prawns per harvest. Milkfish from the ponds are of substantial – or “super” – sizes, averaging almost one kilogram each. The prawns are also very big and healthy.

Bintang Kilat Farmers Group has permanent buyers who come directly to the ponds when the farmers are making their harvest. “Supposedly the milkfish and prawns are sold in Makassar and Surabaya,” said Daeng.

The ponds belonging to Bintang Kilat Farmers Group is located in Baruga Village. The little village that was once no more than swampy land can be reached from Balantang Port, Malili, in 40 minutes by boat. The farmers group, established in 1998, now consists of 90 heads-of-household members. “Although we have been around a long time, it has only been in the last five years that our harvests have amounted to tons,” added Daeng.

Bintang Kilat is one of the organizations assisted by Vale Indonesia’s Commdev Program. “Last November we received IDR85 million in assistance. The funding really helped supplement farmers’ working capital,” said Daeng. This is crucial because cultivated milkfish and tiger prawns need to be fed stable supplies of Phonska fertilizer which is not cheap.

A 50-kilogram sack of Phonska costs IDR105,000. To raise milkfish and tiger prawns in a 5.5-hectare pond until they are ready for harvest (40 days) requires 720 sacks. “Comdev aid provided each farmer eight sacks, or 400 kilograms, of fertilizer. Previously, farmers could only afford to buy 100 kilograms,” added Daeng.

16


TOWUTI

KUB Bina Mitra: Dari Konvensio-nal Menuju Profesional

Berencana menjadi sentra bibit ikan air tawar.

Di kaki Bukit Wawomeusa, dua kilometer dari pusat Kecamatan Towuti, terbentang delapan petak empang seluas dua hektare. “Ada sekitar 20 ribu ikan nila dan ikan emas di sini. Kami berencana menjadi sentra pembibitan kelak,” ujar Bangkit Barus, Ketua Koperasi Usaha Bersama (KUB) Bina Mitra.

Bina Mitra merupakan kelompok tani asal Towuti yang mampu menyerap ilmu pembudidayaan modern ikan air tawar. Dulu, sebelum Bina Mitra berdiri pada 2006, masyarakat Towuti kerap membudidayakan ikan air tawar sebagai selingan lahan pertaniannya. “Banyak petani hanya menebarkan benih dan memanfaatkan pematang sawah atau rawa, tanpa memberi makan ikan. Hasilnya tidak maksimal. Bahkan banyak ikan yang mati,” ujar Barus.

Pada 2009, Bina Mitra mendapat pelatihan dan penyuluhan budidaya modern ikan air tawar. Penyelenggaraannya didukung Vale Indonesia dan diikuti seluruh anggota Bina Mitra yang berjumlah 12 orang. Hasilnya, pemahaman petani tentang budidaya ikan air tawar pun berubah. “Ikan itu ternyata seperti manusia. Dia bukan hanya perlu makan, tapi juga tempat yang baik, terawat dengan aliran air yang baik,” tambah Barus.

Bina Mitra kemudian mengelola empang dua hektarenya itu lebih rapi dan tertata. Termasuk dalam hal pembagian tugas anggota kelompok. Mereka bahkan membuat struktur kelompok untuk bertanggung jawab menyangkut pencatatan keuangan, pemasaran, hingga produksi. Di sisi lain, usaha mereka juga mendapat dukungan Program Commdev Vale Indonesia untuk pembelian bibit ikan nila dan ikan emas serta pelet.

“Dua bulan lagi kami akan panen pertama,” ungkap Muhammad Rifai, anggota Bina Mitra. Dengan volume 20 ribu ikan berbobot rata-rata 1,5 kilogram per ekor, maka Bina Mitra bisa meraup sedikitnya Rp60 juta—dengan harga ikan per kilogram Rp20 ribu.“Tapi kami tidak akan menjual semua. Soalnya ke depan tempat ini ditargetkan menjadi pusat pembibitan ikan air tawar. Dengan demikian tidak hanya menjual ikan untuk dikonsumsi, tapi juga penyuplai bibit.,” ujar Barus.17


Bina Mitra Joint Enterprise Cooperative (KUB): From Conventio-nal to Pro-fessional

TOWUTI

Plans on track to become a center for freshwater fish fry.

At the foot of the Wawomeusa Hills, two kilometers from the center of Towuti Subdistrict, lies a two-hectare fish pond divided into eight sections. “There are about 20,000 tilapia and carp fish here. We plan to one day become a nursery,” said Bangkit Barus, head of Bina Mitra KUB.

Bina Mitra is a farmers group from Towuti whose members have mastered the skills of modern freshwater fish cultivation. In the past, before Bina Mitra was founded in 2006, the people of Towuti often cultivated freshwater fish in between their plots of agricultural produce. “Farmers would toss fry into rice field embankments or swamps without further feeding them. The result was never maximal; in fact, most of the fish died,” said Barus.

In 2009, Bina Mitra received training and counseling on the modern cultivation of freshwater fish. The event was organized by Vale Indonesia and attended by all 12 members of Bina Mitra. As a result, the farmers gained a different understanding of freshwater fish cultivation. “It turns out that fish are like humans. They don’t just need food; they also need a good living space that is well maintained, with good water flow,” added Barus.

Bina Mitra then tidied up its two-hectare pond. It also assigned members with various tasks. They even created structures within the group responsible for issues such as book-keeping, marketing and production. They also received support from Vale Indonesia’s Commdev Program for the purchase of tilapia and carp fry and pellets.

“In two months time we will have our first harvest,” said Muhammad Rifai, a member of Bina Mitra. From about 20,000 fish weighing an average of 1.5 kilograms each, Bina Mitra can expect to reap at least IDR60 million at the price level of IDR20,000 per kilogram of fish.

“But we will not sell all our fish because we plan to make this place a freshwater fish nursery. We will be suppliers of fry as well,” said Barus.

18


Kemakmuran terjadi berkat ajakan kepala desa.

Beberapa daerah di Kabupaten Luwu Timur merupakan penghasil merica berkualitas di Indonesia. Salah satu yang paling terkenal adalah merica dari Desa Bantilang, Kecamatan Towuti. Desa ini, yang berlokasi di seberang Danau Towuti, dapat ditembus melalui perjalanan danau selama hampir dua jam dan perjalanan darat selama sekitar empat jam.

Petani Bantilang telah bertani merica sejak tahun 1960-an, namun hasilnya tidak terlalu menggembirakan. Adalah Arifin, Kepala Desa Bantilang, yang memelopori gerakan tanam merica di daerah tersebut. Dia mengajak warganya untuk beramai-ramai menanam merica, bahkan mengeluarkan peraturan untuk itu. Arifin juga membagikan bibit-bibit merica super. Ide itu muncul karena Arifin resah lantaran tingkat kesejahteraan warganya berada di titik nadir. “Dari 397 kepala keluarga, ada 100 kepala keluarga yang hidup sangat miskin,” ujar Arifin.

Keputusan Arifin itu ternyata tidak meleset. Dalam waktu tiga tahun, program tanam merica itu memberikan hasil cukup menggembirakan. “Sejak program tanam merica itu digalakkan, warga miskin tinggal 30 jiwa,” ujar dia. Arifin menargetkan, dalam dua tahun ke depan tidak ada warga Desa Bantilang yang berstatus miskin.

Andi Binturu merupakan salah satu petani merica di Bantilang. Sebelumnya, dia menghidupi keluarganya dengan mencari kayu gaharu di hutan-hutan. Dari pekerjaannya itu, setiap dua minggu dia hanya mengumpulkan uang Rp30 ribu. Tapi itu cerita lama, Andi kini salah satu petani merica Bantilang yang mumpuni. Dengan luas lahan sekitar dua hektare yang ditanami 2.000 pohon, setiap sekali panen dia bisa memetik 100 kilogram merica senilai Rp8 juta, padahal ia bisa panen hingga tujuh kali dalam setahun. Andi pun tidak lagi hidup di bawah garis kemiskinan. Kini dia memiliki rumah yang cukup nyaman untuk istri dan keempat anaknya.

“Saya bersyukur dengan ide Pak Arifin itu. Kalau bukan karena merica, saya masih terus mengetok rumahnya untuk meminta jatah beras miskin setiap bulannya,” ujar dia.Petani merica Bantilang merupakan binaan Program Commdev Vale Indonesia.

Merica Desa Bantilang:Memakmurkan Warganya

TOWUTI

19


Prosperity comes after village head’s calls are heeded.

Several places in Luwu Timur Regency are among Indonesia’s producers of high-quality pepper. One famous pepper producer is Bantilang Village, Towuti Subdistrict. This village, opposite Lake Towuti, can be reached by making a two-hour trip across the lake and a four-hour journey by land.

Bantilang farmers have grown pepper since the 1960s, but the yields have been poor. It was village chief Arifin who started major pepper planting efforts in the area. He called on residents to plant pepper and even issued a decree for this. Arifin also distributed “super” pepper seedlings. His idea came about following his concern over the level of welfare of village residents which were at a rock-bottom low. “From 397 heads of households, 100 of them were in extreme poverty,” said Arifin.

Arifin’s calls bore fruit. Within three years, the pepper planting program produced pleasing results. “Since the planting program was implemented, the number of poor residents has dropped to just 30,” he said. Arifin’s target is to have no Bantilang Village resident fall into the “poor” category within two years.

Andi Binturu is a pepper farmer in Bantilang. Prior to that, he had made a living collecting eaglewood in the forest, earning only IDR30,000 a fortnight.

But all that is in the past. Andi is now a competent Bantilang pepper farmer. Working an area of two hectares, tending 2,000 trees, he is able to pick 100 kilograms of pepper worth IDR8 million per harvest; and he harvests up to seven times a year. Andi no longer lives below the poverty line; he has a comfortable house for himself, his wife and four children.

“I am grateful to Pak Arifin for coming up with his idea. If it wasn’t for pepper, I would still be knocking on his door, asking for poor people’s rice rations every month,” he said.Bantilang pepper farmers receive assistance from Vale Indonesia’s Commdev Program.

Bantilang Village Pepper: Makes Residents Prosperous

TOWUTI

20


Unit Usaha Rotan Polish: Kreasi Kaki Lima, Kualitas Ekspor

TOWUTI

21

Menggunakan bahan berkualitas dengan finishing kelas pabrik.

Berada di Jalan Rusa, Desa Wawondula, Towuti, di ruangan belakang rumahnya yang sempit, Rifai Ahmad dengan lembut menggosok keranjang rotan hasil buatannya. “Ini pesanan orang,” katanya.

Kelompok ini bernama Unit Usaha Kerajinan Rotan Polish dibentuk pada 2009, didirikan Rifai bersama tujuh orang kawannya.

Sebelumnya, unit usaha itu hanya memproduksi pesanan orang-orang yang berdomisili di Wawondula, seperti kursi atau meja. Tapi saat ini mereka sudah mampu memproduksi satu set furnitur rumah.

Menurut Rifai, membuat kerajinan rotan membutuhkan keuletan dan ketekunan, tak bisa instan, dan harus punya rasa estetika yang baik. “Finishing-nya saja butuh hingga tiga hari. Harus benar-benar teliti,” kata dia. Setiap set kursi ruang tamu dijual mulai Rp5 juta.

Tidak seperti kerajinan rotan lainnya, produksi Rifai dan kawan-kawannya

memiliki kualitas yang baik. Rangka-rangka sambungan rotannya tidak menggunakan paku seperti umumya, melainkan menggunakan sekrup. Hal itu agar furnitur kokoh dan tak mudah goyang. Dia berani menjamin keawetan produksinya bisa mencapai 20 tahun.

Bahan baku rotan didatangkan dari Makassar. Setiap bulan, unit usaha ini membutuhkan sekitar 200 kilogram rotan polish. “Inilah kendalanya, padahal sebetulnya rotan-rotan itu didatangkan dari Luwu Timur, kemudian dikirim ke Makassar, lalu kami beli lagi. Sebab, di Luwu Timur industri pengolahan rotan sudah tidak ada,” tambah pria yang pernah bekerja di produsen furnitur rotan di Pulau Jawa ini.

Pada awal 2010, saat melakukan pameran di Makassar dan Jakarta, beberapa pengusaha rotan memberikan apresiasi terhadap kualitas furnitur rotan produksi Rifai.

Melalui Program Commdev Vale Indonesia, Unit Usaha Kerajinan ini mendapatkan bantuan empat unit mesin pengolahan dan finishing rotan. Ditargetkan, 2012 mesin-mesin itu dapat beroperasi. Bila terealisasi, satu ton rotan siap diproduksi setiap hari.


Polished Rattan Enterprise Unit: Export-Quality Sidewalk-Vendor Creations

TOWUTI

Quality material and factory-class finishing.

Rifai Ahmad sat in the back room of his small house on Jalan Rusa, Wawondula Village, Towuti, gently rubbing a rattan basket he had just made. “This was made to order,” he said.

It’s name Unit Usaha Kerajinan Rotan Polish (Polished Rattan Handicrafts Enterprise Unit) was established in 2009 by Rifai and seven colleagues.

Previously, the business only took orders from people living in Wawondula for products such as chairs and tables. But now they are able to produce items like lounge chairs, dining chairs, lamps, rocking horses for children and clothes baskets.

Rifai said creating rattan handicrafts requires tenacity and perseverance; it is not an instant process and requires a good sense of aesthetics. “The finishing requires three days. It must be done very carefully,” he said. The starting price for a set of lounge chairs is IDR5 million.

Unlike other types of rattan handicrafts, the creations of Rifai and his friends are

of high quality. The rattan joints are not framed into place with nails but with screws. Rifai said the use of screws results in stronger, sturdier frames. He gives his products a 20-year lifetime guarantee.

The rattan used as raw material comes from Makassar. Every month, the business needs about 200 kilograms of polished rattan. “This is where the difficulty lies; the rattan in fact originates from Luwu Timur, but is sent to Makassar, so we have to repurchase it. The reason for this is that the rattan processing industry in Luwu Timur no longer exists,” said the man who has worked for a number of rattan furniture manufacturers in Java.

In early 2010, during an exhibition in Makassar and Jakarta, a number of rattan entrepreneurs expressed their appreciation of the quality of rattan furniture produced by Rifai.

Through Vale Indonesia’s Commdev Program, the Polished Rattan Handicrafts Enterprise Unit managed to acquire four rattan processing and finishing machines. The machinery is expected to start working in 2012. If it’s full operation, one ton of rattan can be produced a day. This is equivalent to 10 sets of chairs a month.


Publikasi ini diterbitkan oleh Divisi Komunikasi PT Vale Indonesia Tbk

Pelindung I Basrie Kamba (Director of External Relations & Corporate Affairs).

Penanggung Jawab I Sudarmono (Acting General Manager Community Relations),

General Manager Communications.

Pelaksana Program I Andi Batari Sjamsu, Idham Kurniawan, Sohra, Andi Zulkarnain,

Baso Haris, Syawal, La Ode M. Ichman, Miftahuddin Hadilang.

Editor I Sihanto B. Bela, Rohman H. Yuliawan.

Tim Peliput I Nala Dipa, Eko Rusdianto, Nuki Adiati.

Fotografer I Doni Setiadi.

Desainer Grafis I Sandy Pauling.


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