PalmCo and East Kalimantan Provincial Government collaborate to tackle stunting in Paser
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Plantation Holding PTPN III (Persero) through its subholding PTPN IV PalmCo has partnered with the East Kalimantan Provincial Government to reduce stunting cases in Paser Regency through an integrated nutrition intervention programme.
Jatmiko K Santosa, Chief Executive of PTPN IV PalmCo, said the effort is being carried out through a sustainable programme titled “Healthy Nutrition, Strong Nation” which focuses on improving nutrition and environmental sanitation in the company’s operational areas.
“During the holy month of Ramadhan this year in 2026, we have allocated assistance programmes worth more than Rp270 million. This step is being realised, among other things, through the distribution of nutrition packages to hundreds of families at risk of stunting (KRS) in Paser Regency,” said Jatmiko in a statement in Jakarta on Sunday.
Jatmiko conveyed that the stunting prevention programme is not a new initiative launched by the company. The step represents a continuation of a commitment that has been running extensively over recent years.
“In 2024, supplementary nutritious food assistance from the company reached 1,313 children, and expanded protection touched 2,077 children in 2025. The company also actively implements the Godfather Programme for Children with Stunting,” said Jatmiko.
Entering early 2026, Jatmiko continued, the company will again distribute sustainable nutritious food assistance packages to 100 at-risk families (85 children and 15 pregnant women) in Paser.
This assistance runs parallel with the provision of health education and distribution of environmental sanitation improvement assistance through the construction of “Healthy Toilet” facilities.
According to him, tackling stunting requires sustained effort and consistency from all parties, particularly business entities that operate and grow in the midst of communities.
“A healthy generation is the foundation of a strong nation. We want to continue contributing concretely in supporting improved health quality for infants and pregnant women in our company’s operational areas,” he emphasised.
He hopes that the parallel approach between providing nutrition and improving sanitation will be able to encourage behavioural change towards cleaner and healthier living in communities.
Meanwhile, Nurizky Permanajati, Head of BKKBN Representation in East Kalimantan, said that based on data from the 2024 Indonesian Health Survey (SKI), the prevalence of stunting in East Kalimantan still stands at 22.2 per cent, whilst Paser Regency reaches 23.4 per cent.
This figure is still above the national average and WHO threshold of 20 per cent. As an intervention measure, as many as 936 families in Paser Regency will be targeted to receive assistance through the GENTING programme (Foster Parents Movement to Prevent Stunting).
“Therefore, the presence of PTPN IV PalmCo is very helpful in easing this burden and we hope it can become a good practice replicated by other business partners,” said Nurizky.
Similarly, Amir Faisol, Head of the Population Control, Family Planning, Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Service (DP2KBP3A) in Paser, welcomed the collaboration as additional ammunition for the region in pursuing the target of reducing stunting rates.
“We are very optimistic that accelerating the reduction of stunting rates in Paser can be achieved this year,” said Amir.
Meanwhile, Sudarma Bhakti Lessan, Regional Head of PTPN IV Regional V, explained that programme implementation in Paser Regency targets 100 at-risk families with intensive mentoring schemes over six months.
The scheme is designed to ensure that improvements in family nutritional status take place consistently and measurably. Each beneficiary family will receive regular nutrition packages each month.
“The assistance package includes milk for pregnant women and infants, eggs as a source of animal protein, rice, and biscuits to support family food requirements,” said Sudarma.