In Collaboration with SIG, Semen Gresik Facilitates Farmers in Rembang to Develop the Corn Industry Cluster
Rembang, July 21, 2022 - PT Semen Gresik (PTSG) supports PT Semen Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (SIG) in facilitating farmers and business actors to develop upstream to downstream supply chains of potential corn clusters in Rembang Regency. This commitment was demonstrated by signing the Decree on Corn Cluster and inaugurating the cluster management board in the "Grand Launching of the Rembang Regency Corn Cluster" event at the Rumah BUMN's yard on Thursday (21/7). The launching was officially carried out by the Rembang Regent, Abdul Hafidz; Director of Finance and Human Resources of PTSG as the representative of SIG, Muchamad Supriyadi; and the Head of the Central Java Cooperatives and SMEs Office, Ema Rachmawati.
The launching was also attended by the Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda) of Rembang Regency; related Regional Apparatus Organizations (OPD); General Manager of CSR SIG, Edi Saraya, and his staff; PTSG management board; Semen Gresik management board; Sahabat Petani; and corn cluster management board.
Director of Finance and Human Resources of PTSG, Muchamad Supriyadi, affirmed that the facilitation of corn farmers in Rembang Regency represents SIG and Semen Gresik's commitment to supporting farmers in developing corn production with higher quality, advancing the processed diversification, and improving the utilization of the corn cob waste.
Supriyadi acknowledged that Rembang Regency is a region in Central Java with abundant corn farming. Semen Gresik, as the subsidiary of SIG, has been the beneficiary of corn farming, specifically cob waste.
Further, he claimed that PTSG chose corn because they noticed the great potential of corn farming in Rembang Regency. According to research from IPB, he conveyed that corn farming in Rembang Regency has significantly contributed to the needs at the provincial level, Central Java, and national level.
''This effort comes as our concrete step in supporting the Central Java Cooperatives and SMEs Office to establish corn clusters in SOEs in Central Java so we can help SMEs actors," said Supriyadi.
Afterward, Supriyadi added that the Rembang factory has leveraged corn cobs as an alternative fuel to substitute coal. In addition, corn cobs are also utilized by SME actors assisted by Rumah BUMN in Rembang Regency to produce handicrafts.
Supriyadi expected that the corn cluster management board chaired by Sutiyono could further optimize the support from SIG and the Rembang Regency Government to better utilize corn as a processed food ingredient that can contribute to the welfare of farmers and SMEs.
The Head of the Cooperatives and SMEs Office, Ema Rachmawati, appreciated the strategic steps taken by SIG in collaboration with Semen Gresik in clustering the corn as a leading commodity in Rembang Regency. She stated that it is essential to establish cooperation among stakeholders to succeed in the corn clustering.
"Rembang Regency has been rich in potential, starting from food and beverages, craft, and fashion, whose development is assisted by Rumah BUMN. Now, it is the time for corn farming in Rembang, which has grown amazingly, to be optimized to contribute higher social and economic values for the community," she added.
Further, Ema confirmed that in improving the success of corn potential in Rembang, at least four steps should be considered: identifying potentials, planning shared action, obtaining business licenses, and involving research and technology.
The Rembang Regent, Abdul Hafidz, also extended his gratitude for the well-established collaboration between SIG and Semen Gresik, which has supported a hundred farmers in the operational area. He expected that the mentoring for farmers would be performed intensely to encourage them to keep innovating in leveraging corn commodity.
