Astra Promotes Leading Commodities to Boost Local Communities' Income
Astra International continues to promote rural communities’ economic self-reliance by developing local flagship commodities through the Desa Sejahtera Astra programme, implemented across various regions in Indonesia.
As a tangible manifestation of these efforts, Astra is participating in the Kolaborasi Kampus Berdampak through the One Village One CEO (OVOC) approach, a programme for developing village business ecosystems based on local flagship products, which took place on Friday (24/4) in Desa Sejahtera Astra, West Bandung Regency.
The programme activities in Desa Sejahtera Astra, West Bandung Regency, which began in 2020, include analysing and planning production potential with farmer groups, transferring knowledge and technology to improve horticultural product quality, including marketing activities and partnerships with market partners. The managed land area is 20 hectares, reaching 650 community members exposed to the programme, with a production capacity of 15 tonnes per harvest cycle across six villages.
Local communities are developing horticultural commodities such as watercress, pumpkins, tomatoes, Kenyan beans, chillies, red cabbage, and paprika, supported by enhancements in production capacity, harvest quality, and market access expansion, with optimal product absorption rates. Through the Desa Sejahtera Astra programme in West Bandung, farmers have experienced an income increase from Rp1.2 million to Rp2.5 million per month.
“Astra views villages not merely as objects of empowerment, but as centres of new economic growth. Through the integrated development of flagship commodities from upstream to downstream, we aim to ensure that communities are not only able to produce, but also possess competitiveness and sustainable market access,” said Astra’s Chief of Corporate Affairs, Boy Kelana Soebroto, quoted from his statement on Wednesday, 29 April 2026.
Meanwhile, in other regions, Astra is involved in collaborations encompassing village development and enhanced porang product processing capacity in Desa Sejahtera Astra, North Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. This commitment is realised through the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Social Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Mataram University, and porang product off-taker PT Sanindo Pangan Rinjani, which occurred last Thursday (16/4). This collaboration is expected to strengthen and further accelerate the ongoing programme in Desa Sejahtera Astra, North Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara.