InfoSAWIT, SENGKAHARAK -After Benua Indah Group (BIG) as the partner left the villagers in 2008, Chairman of Koperasi Sandika Dwibakti, Suminto (48) said, the plasma smallholders of Village of Sengkaharak, Sub district of Tumbang Titi, District of Ketapang, West Kalimantan province were abandoned.

The man of Lamongan, East Java, thought, the bank still got some of their area certificates for not paying the credits.

Of 7 layers, the bank still keeps about 5% of the certificates. “The credit was not paid in the same time for it depended on each productivity that the smallholders cutlivated. The diligent ones could be faster to pay the credits. They who do not get back the certificate, the credits should be no problem at the first place,” he recently in Village of Sengkaharak.

For eight years, the plasma smallholders in Village of Sengkaharak, Suminto continued, faced uncertainty. In the late days, their plantations are not productive as the old days. They planted the tree in 1992/1993. It means, the tree needs replanting program.

Luckily in 2015, Bumitama Gunajaya Agro (BGA) Group won the auction on the BIG assets. The plasma smallholders now have hope to be better.

The economy rises now. He said, most of the villagers of Sengkaharak become the employees in BGA. “30 to 40 men become the employees to the replanting program,” he said.

Running the replanting program, Suminto hoped, could empower the local people to improve the economy. Not like the old days for having no regular income.(T2)