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| PT Karunia Semesta Raya President Director Heri
Susanto (left) and Company Adviser Shih Mei Chan |
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Indonesia’s burgeoning mining industry has attracted increased interest among foreign investors and is playing a key role in driving economic growth. With the abundance of mining fields and exploration in several areas of the country, many are asking how the industry can promote environmental sustainability.
PT Karunia Semesta Raya (KSR) started as a trader of coal and andesite stone mining in 2003. Following a change in mining regulations, the company shifted its business from copper smelting to mineralized fertilizer in 2009.
“People ask me why I changed my business from coal and copper to fertilizer. Apart from it having good business value, it also contributes to a greener environment. Our products consist of 100 percent naturally mined, mineral-rich volcanic ash and are sold without any chemical alterations,” says President Director Heri Susanto.
The company provides farmers with a natural, sustainable and profitable means to improve the growth, health and nutrient value of their crops and livestock. Currently distributed in Indonesia, KSR’s products are slated for export to Malaysia, Taiwan and Singapore in the near future.
“We call our fertilizer a soil re-mineralizer. Agricultural activity results in the depletion of nutrients from soil and it is important to regenerate them. Our copper-based fertilizer products are also excellent as animal feed additive, as it increases lean gain in animals and improves their health. In aquaculture, it serves as feed for mineral supplementation and as pond water treatment to stimulate plankton growth, while eliminating toxic blue algae plankton and viruses that plague the aquaculture industry. This is a brand-new initiative in Indonesia,” says Susanto.
“Our soil re-mineralizer can also directly impact the mining industry in improving environmental sustainability, by helping to create and restore the top soil of mining areas after mining activity has ceased, making the land suitable for agricultural development. The Japanese can use this kind of fertilizer to absorb radioactive elements in soil. We really want to grow and partner with public and private institutions to enhance the quality and reliability of distribution for the further development of our products,” he adds.
Ahead of its 10th anniversary in 2014, the company has set higher goals.
“We want to grow our fertilizer and animal feed business. Our medium-term targets are to produce skin-care products and develop health supplements and products for cancer medications,” he says.
KSR’s commitment to society has received praise from the Ministry of Agriculture, which has classified the company’s products as an “organic soil remineralizer. The company also recently received the Best Company of the Year by the Winner Indonesia Award 2012.
“Moving forward, mining can help address the food requirements of the world by enhancing the health and growth of crops and livestock. It is not only about producing steel, copper and gold bars. It can create a healthier world and support different industries,” says Susanto.
www.ptksr.co.id
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