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Indonesian 
Gorontalo City, InfoPublik – The Nantu Lestari Farmers Group in Tamilo, Saritani Village, Wonosari District, Boalemo Regency, is building solidarity to jointly manage their plantation land to make it more productive.
They build awareness to implement mohuyula or mutual cooperation among their members.
“So far, we have worked separately, not caring about being together,” said Kang Gepeng, Chair of the Nantu Lestari Farmers Group, Sunday (17/3/2024).
Kang Gepeng, who comes from Java, invited other members to prepare and develop a new enthusiasm for farming. They agreed to build environmentally friendly agriculture by reducing the use of fertilizers and chemical poisons.
“It turns out that by using agricultural waste and livestock manure we can make natural fertilizer, it’s cheaper and we don’t even need to buy anything, it just depends on whether we want to process it or not,” said Kang Gepeng.
He felt he had gained new enthusiasm after receiving assistance from other farmer groups who had previously implemented sustainable agriculture. The farmer group he refers to is Marsudi Lestantun, a farmer group that has succeeded in building group unity and developing environmentally friendly agriculture.
Through the assistance of Marsudi Lestantun, spearheaded by Vial Bullyanto and Bunaeri, the members of the Nantu Lestari farmer group are more enthusiastic.
This environmentally friendly agricultural assistance is carried out with the support of the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Program (GEF SGP).
“This spirit of togetherness is social capital that is growing and being nurtured. “It is hoped that in the future there will be greater energy in improving the standard of living of farming families in Tamilo,” said Bunaeri.
Bunaeri said that this spirit of togetherness must come first before moving on to technical agricultural practices, because the spirit of togetherness is a major part of the growth and development of the Nantu Lestari farmer group.
Bunaeri, as the local institutional partner in this program, explained that this activity provides financial and technical support to the Nantu Lestari farmer group in the Nantu Wildlife Reserve buffer area to develop and implement innovative local actions to overcome global environmental problems, while improving livelihoods and reducing poverty.
“By implementing environmentally friendly agriculture, farmers’ products are of higher quality, free of toxic residues or chemical fertilizers, safe to consume and have higher economic value,” said Bunaeri. (mcgorontaloprov)
