East Lombok BMT Builds End-to-End Fish Farming Ecosystem

The Sharia Savings, Loans and Financing Cooperative (KSPPS) BMT Tunas Harapan Syantara (THS) in East Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara, is building an end-to-end fisheries business ecosystem, linking fish farmers, feed distributors, collectors, and market access. In a press release from LPDB Koperasi in Jakarta on Wednesday, Sarni, Chair of the Management Board of KSPPS BMT Tunas Harapan Syantara, stated that through a closed-loop ecosystem business model, the cooperative not only acts as a financing provider but also as a connector for various business actors within a single integrated value chain. According to her, the ecosystem development aims to strengthen the position of cooperative members, particularly fisheries business actors, so they do not face production and marketing challenges alone. “For fish farmers, they no longer have to worry about finding capital, buying feed, or selling their harvest. Everything is connected in one system,” Sarni said. She added that currently, around 300 fish farmers have joined the ecosystem, supported by approximately 10 collectors who mentor dozens of farmers. Part of the members’ production output has also supplied the kitchen needs of the Free Nutritious Meal Programme (MBG). Sarni revealed that the partnership with LPDB Koperasi has accelerated the cooperative’s growth, particularly through financing support and institutional mentoring. According to her, the mentoring provided by LPDB Koperasi has increased public trust in the cooperative. This is reflected in the increase in member savings, the growth of the cooperative’s assets from around Rp10 billion to Rp18 billion, and the expanding business network built with members. Beyond the fisheries sector, BMT THS, established in 2013, also supports other business actors, such as seafood collectors and layer chicken farmers. One cooperative member, Mahrip, who works as a fish farmer, said financing from the cooperative has helped sustain his business because the payment scheme can be adjusted to the fish farming production cycle. “For fish farmers, the most important things are fast capital and payments that adjust to the harvest season. At BMT THS, we are assisted with financing according to business needs. The instalments also follow our business cycle, so it is not burdensome,” he said. According to him, the cooperative’s presence means farmers no longer struggle to obtain capital to buy fingerlings or feed. Moreover, the harvest has a clearer market through the business network built by the cooperative. Fellow cooperative member Murdini, who works as a fish collector, shared a similar sentiment. He utilised cooperative financing to purchase an operational vehicle used to expand the distribution of seafood. “I once tried applying to a bank, but it might not have been approved. At the cooperative, the process is easier, the requirements are not complicated, and it really helps our business,” he said. Murdini mentioned that his business currently supplies various types of seafood such as mackerel tuna, tuna, skipjack tuna, squid, and cuttlefish to traditional markets in Lombok. Some of the catch is also channelled to the MBG kitchens, while premium quality tuna is stored in cold storage facilities before being marketed.