Disclaimer
This article may contain copyrighted material, the use of which may not have been pre-authorized by the copyright owner. This material is made available for the purpose of giving information and knowledge. The material contained on the Astra Agro website distributed without profit. If you are interested in using copyrighted material from this material for any reason that goes beyond ‘fair use’, you must first obtain permission from the original source
North Singkil Sub-district, Aceh Singkil, is living proof that food security can be realized with a creative and sustainable approach.
Through catfish farming based on biofloc technology, this village not only ensures food availability, but also contributes to the prevention of stunting for infants and toddlers.
The program was initiated by Rahman Dwi Rizky, Secretary of Telaga Bhakti Village, who together with other village officials took advantage of support from PT Perkebunan Lembah Bhakti (PLB), a subsidiary of PT Astra Agro Lestari Tbk (Astra Agro).
PLB regularly provides material and non-material assistance to empower village communities.
“We started this program in 2022, initially by planting vegetables. However, the results depend on the season, so we tried catfish cultivation with the biofloc system which is more sustainable,” said Rahman, a university graduate in fisheries in his statement, Saturday (16/11/2024).
Rahman said, with the biofloc system, catfish ponds are managed using environmentally friendly technology.
In addition, the pond water remains clean thanks to an automatic sewage system that also produces organic fertilizer for horticultural crops.
“This makes cultivation more efficient without changing the water manually,” Rahman said.
Until now, Telaga Bhakti Village has harvested catfish twice, with a yield of 85 kg in the first harvest and 198 kg in the second harvest.
The harvest is immediately distributed to the community, especially infants and toddlers, through the posyandu program.
“We distributed catfish as a nutritious supplementary food for the children. This is effective in helping prevent stunting,” Rahman said.
Nur Aini, a village cadre and doctor, emphasized that catfish is an affordable source of protein that can complement children’s nutritional needs.
“Parents don’t have to buy expensive food to fulfill their family’s nutritional needs,” she said.
The catfish farming program is part of Astra Agro’s commitment to supporting community empowerment in four main areas: economy, health, environment, and education.
“The goal is to create a community that is independent and not dependent on outsiders,” said Riduan Manik, Community Development Area Manager Aceh, through CSR Assistant Catur Wibowo.
PLB was also instrumental in making Telaga Bhakti Village a ProKlim Village, an award from the Aceh Singkil Environment Agency for sustainable environmental initiatives.
Telaga Bhakti Village is continuing catfish farming. They plan to expand their business to other fish farming, such as tilapia and carp.
Rahman hopes that this program can continue to be sustainable and become an inspiration for other villages to utilize local potential for food security.
He added that the collaboration between village officials and Astra Agro, Telaga Bhakti Village, proves that small community-based businesses can have a big impact on the economy and health.
“This program is a clear example of how local innovation can answer global challenges such as food security and stunting,” Rahman concluded.
Source : rm.id
