Strengthening Farmer Partnerships to Maintain Export Quality
Rising production costs, regulatory changes, and fluctuations in agricultural input prices are challenges that agro-industry players must face. These conditions demand not only efficiency at the company level but also strengthening of the upstream supply chain so that agricultural productivity and quality are maintained.
Amid these challenges, PT Mitratani Dua Tujuh is strengthening partnerships with farmers while renewing its corporate culture values to enhance business competitiveness. The move was made as part of the company’s 31st anniversary celebrations in Jember, East Java.
One of the agendas was the launch of a new corporate culture framework called Go Fresh. The framework encompasses a number of principles related to operational excellence, reliability, and the application of high quality standards.
PT Mitratani Dua Tujuh Director Yogi Subaktyana said the renewal of the work culture was necessary to respond to increasingly complex pressures on the company’s operations. According to him, changes in sectoral policies, fluctuations in fuel prices, and rising fertiliser prices are among the factors increasing the operational burden. These conditions also encourage the company to accelerate transformation, including through the use of digital technology.
“Through the internalisation of the new work culture, we encourage efficiency and professionalism so that the company continues to provide benefits for the agricultural ecosystem,” Yogi said on Saturday (22/8).
In addition to internal improvements, the company is strengthening supply chain sustainability through partnership management with farmers. On the occasion, 18 outstanding partner farmers from Jember, Lumajang, and Probolinggo received appreciation based on accumulated performance points. The appreciation was given in the form of facilities that can support daily activities and agricultural operations, ranging from hand tractors, household electronic devices, to communication tools.
The provision of these facilities is part of a partnership scheme that connects industrial needs with farmer productivity at the upstream level. For the company, the quality of raw materials is an important factor in maintaining the standards of the products produced. Meanwhile, for farmers, certainty of harvest absorption is one of the main benefits of the partnership pattern.
Representative of partner farmers from Lumajang, Eko Suprayitno, said cooperation with the company provides market certainty amid agricultural market conditions that can change. “Besides providing clear market certainty, the company’s strict standards encourage us to consistently produce commodities with export quality,” Eko explained.
Strengthening farmer partnerships is also related to efforts to maintain the sustainability of the industry as a whole. The agro-industry supply chain requires continuity of raw material supply as well as consistency of quality to meet market needs.
From the employment perspective, the Chairman of the Agro-industry Workers Union (SPA) of PT Mitratani Dua Tujuh also highlighted the company’s contribution in providing jobs for communities around its operational areas.
Meanwhile, PT Mitratani Dua Tujuh President Commissioner Winarto asked management to make the company’s anniversary momentum a point of evaluation of corporate competitiveness. He emphasised the importance of integrity and collaboration in maintaining operational resilience and the company’s financial condition amid changes in the business environment.
The 31st anniversary celebrations carried the theme ‘Strengthening Foundations, Driving Innovation, Delivering Quality’. In addition to agendas related to operations and partnerships, activities also included the construction of social and religious facilities. The company laid the first stone for the construction of the Al-Harits Mosque and distributed social responsibility funds to 31 orphans from three social foundations.
In terms of human resource development, the company also introduced an appreciation programme in the form of umrah pilgrimage opportunities for employees with outstanding performance, scheduled to take place in September.