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PNM develops potential of Acehnese farmers through patchouli oil commodity clustering
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T
he Financial Services Authority (OJK) continues to push its program to expand regional financial access to remote areas of the country. Through the Financial Inclusion Ecosystem (EKI) and Financial Inclusion Month 2024, PT Permodalan Nasional Madani (PNM) supports this initiative by developing the business potential of patchouli farmers.
In collaboration with various Financial Service Industries (IJK) and the Atsiri Research Center of Syiah Kuala University, financial literacy and access were provided to the residents of Umong Seuribee Village, Lhoong District, Aceh Besar Regency. This village is well-known as an innovative patchouli oil tourism village with great potential.
PNM's EVP of Development and Management Services, Razaq Manan Ahmad, expressed his commitment to improving the welfare of patchouli farming families, including PNM Mekaar customers. In addition to providing financing for business development, PNM has established a Patchouli Oil Clustering.
“The wives of these farmers are PNM Mekaar customers. We provide them with financing to help support their families. We also facilitate business clustering,” Razaq explained on Oct. 14 in Lhoong Village, Aceh Besar.
“Previously, Mekaar customers were mainly farmers who helped their husbands in the fields and sold patchouli leaves to processors. Their income was relatively small compared to what they could earn if they were able to process the plant into finished products,” he added.
PNM Mekaar customers involved in the Patchouli Oil Clustering are also given additional patchouli seedlings and trained in the direct practice of processing patchouli oil into things like aromatherapy oil.
Next, customers will be taught how to create marketing strategies to make their products more widely known in the market. PNM will also introduce farmers to offtakers once they can process the oil into higher-value products.
“We hope that the farmers will become more prosperous and avoid various illegal financial activities,” Razaq concluded.
