PT Jamkrindo held a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Salarea Seed House at Legok Aswi, on the Bandrek-Cibatu main road in Garut, West Java, on Friday, March 11, 2022.
The ceremony was led by PT Jamkrindo Regional Leader IV Bandung, Dody Novarianto.
The Seed House is being built through a collaboration between PT Jamkrindo, via its Corporate Social and Environmental Responsibility (TJSL) program, and the Salarea Foundation.
Dadan M Ramdhan, Chair of the Salarea Foundation, explained that the Seed House will function as a community-based empowerment facility focused on food and conservation activities. The land is planned to be used for planting coffee seedlings and fruit trees.
“We want to ensure a sufficient supply of coffee seedlings and develop a community around coffee and fruit production. There are already nearly 100 alligator avocados here,” Dadan said.
Dadan further mentioned that these seedlings will be distributed free of charge to local farmers and residents. The goal is for the community to no longer need to source seedlings from outside the region, marking the beginning of efforts to build economic resilience among local residents.
The construction of the Seed House is fully funded by PT Jamkrindo, as part of its commitment to community empowerment and environmental sustainability.
Dody Novarianto expressed hope that the groundbreaking ceremony would not just be a symbolic event. According to Dody, the land should be optimized to add value to the local economy.
“This should not just be a waste of money without results,” Dody remarked.
Dody also highlighted that Jamkrindo has consistently reported positive performance, with significant profits. These profits, he mentioned, are allocated for social initiatives.
He urged that the construction of the Seed House take into account all necessary aspects to ensure that the community can fully optimize its potential.
“It’s important to consider water facilities, electricity sources, and infrastructure, as these are critical for the project,” Dody said.
He emphasized that Jamkrindo would continue to monitor the progress of the project closely.
“We will also supervise the progress of this development, checking things like budget allocation for labor, and ensuring the designs and materials are well planned,” Dody stated.
However, Dody suggested that the seedlings should not be given out entirely for free. He proposed the creation of a buy-sell ecosystem that could help ensure the sustainability of the local economy.
“The community here can eventually become suppliers of the seedlings they plant. They could collaborate with Perhutani and Jamkrindo to develop this further,” Dody added.
Dody even expressed his willingness to help the community develop the seedlings. He plans to invite experts to provide guidance on the right seedlings to plant and to ensure that they are marketable.
“There must be experts involved. We need to choose the right seedlings to plant, and determine whether they are suitable for the market,” Dody concluded.
Sardiman Tanjung, the Head of Cibatu Sub-district in Garut, appreciated Jamkrindo's support for the construction of the Seed House. He emphasized that this assistance represents the presence of state-owned enterprises (BUMN) supporting the local community.
“The presence of BUMN for the community is evident here. On behalf of the Cibatu sub-district, I’d like to commend Jamkrindo for consistently contributing their ideas to develop local MSMEs,” Sardiman stated.
He added that the Seed House project would significantly benefit the local economy.
This activity is part of a series of visits by the PT Jamkrindo team to assess the development of MSMEs in Garut. In addition to the Seed House visit, the Jamkrindo team will also visit the Garut Pratama Taro and the Waste Bank projects.