About the group
Number of smallholders: 108 (100 Men, 8 Women)
Total Land Area: 302 Ha
Status: Not Certified
Group location: Jl. Trifika Rt. 01 Dsn 02 Desa Mendis Jaya, Kecamatan Bayung Lencir, Kabupaten Musi Banyu Asin, Provinsi Sumatera Selatan, Indonesia
Country: Indonesia
On-going Facilitator: Setara Jambi Foundation
TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY JOURNEY
Perkumpulan Petani Mendis Jaya Sejahtera (PPMJS), a coalition of independent farmers from Mendis Jaya Village, was formed out of a collective desire to acquire knowledge about sustainable palm oil cultivation. The driving ambition is for the farmers within this group to enhance both their understanding and practices in oil palm farming. As a result, it is anticipated that the quality and quantity of Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB) will improve. Furthermore, it is hoped that the partnerships fostered through this initiative will significantly enhance the bargaining power of the farmers concerning their FFB products.
Pak Ponimin, the group’s secretary, revealed that they have begun implementing best agricultural practices (GAP) in their farming methods due to the knowledge received from the Global Yield GAP Assessment (GYGA) programme. This approach has bolstered the economic value for members employing intercropping techniques with areca nut trees in their oil palm plantations.
According to Pak Ponimin, the primary motivation for implementing sustainable practices is to enable the member farmers of PPMJS to achieve a good standard of quality and quantity in FFB production while also fostering oil palm cultivation that is more environmentally conscious, minimises the use of hazardous chemicals (harmful pesticides and herbicides), pays more attention to workplace safety in oil palm plantations, and creates social harmony among member farmers. However, he acknowledges the challenges in adhering to the stringent principles, criteria, and indicators required for RSPO certification, particularly in changing traditional farming habits to align with those prescribed by the RSPO standards.
The group aspires to leverage the RSPO system to address the myriad challenges facing the farming community, which include fluctuating FFB prices, difficulties in obtaining fertilisers, and the repair of communal FFB production roads, among others.
Currently, PPMJS is receiving guidance from the Setara Jambi Foundation in navigating the process towards RSPO certification.
Target Project Impact
Total area covered by the project
302 Ha
Number of smallholders benefitting from this project
108 Smallholders
Number/percentage of women supported by this project
7.41% women in this project
How you can support
Perkumpulan Petani Mendis Jaya Sejahtera needs both financial and technical assistance in the form of partnerships for activities that support its certification process. These include training, socialisation, mapping, HCV assessment, management of STDB and SPPL documents, RSPO membership fees, and costs related to the group’s internal and external RSPO audit processes .
GROUP CONTACT
Representative Contact
Ponimin | Secretary | [email protected] | +62 852-1616-9139
FACILITATOR GROUP CONTACT
Representative Contact
Ridho Iskandar | Facilitator +62 822-7554-2545 | [email protected] | http://www.setarajambi.org
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