Stepping together to achieve the welfare of shrimp farmers and local suppliers
Let's meet Pak Mislan, one of the successful shrimp farmers who is now a notable shrimp supplier in Sumatra and Java. Up until last 2021, Pak Mislan managed to handle no less than 450 billion rupiahs from his shrimp business.
The beginning
Pak Mislan, interestingly, used to be one of the Dipasena shrimp farmers who had succeeded when shrimp became the prima donna of Indonesian exports. Having experienced living below the poverty line, Pak Mislan is not content to rely solely on shrimp farming for money. He pioneered the Dipasena social and economic constellation by working with other Dipasena farmers and factory employees to process shrimp waste more than two decades ago.
He maintains his desire of being useful to as many people as possible, even in the middle of difficult circumstances. Pak Mislan is currently working with his younger brother to manage about 9,000 plasma farmers in Dipasena. He is still Mislan, a shrimp farmer who is tied to his homeland.
Synergize and collaborate
It didn't stop there. Pak Mislan and his wife, Bu Dewi, continued to work together as shrimp suppliers. In 2010, they pioneered their work in fish markets to big retailers in Indonesia. They have shared many experiences of failure, success, and problems in expanding business as husband and wife and business partners. Finally, Pak Mislan and Bu Dewi decided to focus on becoming suppliers for large shrimp exporting factories in several regions in Indonesia.
Bu Dewi said that we must live responsibly and never pawn the trust of partners for a moment's pleasure because trust is valuable in business. Meanwhile, profit is merely a bonus that will undoubtedly be gained if we are consistent in our business practices.
Meanwhile, Pak Mislan said that we must be able to help many people in this life. Think about something that will provide jobs for people. Focus and take the risk of looking for fresh chances. Don't be worried about potential failures. Pak Mislan perceives failure as an opportunity to learn from and correct past mistakes.
Helping local shrimp industry actors
Pak Mislan has so far made farmers and their families, small suppliers, and the community achieved welfare and optimized their shrimp production. Many local farmers and suppliers rely on the income from shrimp farming and harvesting which are sold to Pak Mislan. Almost every day, people come to Pak Mislan's house in Tangerang to discuss and learn everything about shrimp farming from him. This shared goal is what keeps the cooperation between JALA and this couple going.
Working with JALA benefits not just Pak Mislan and Bu Dewi, but also the entire ecosystem that Pak Mislan has developed in this industry. JALA also helped Pak Mislan and Bu Dewi improve their financial records. Bu Dewi mentioned that there was a lot of help with administration and other documents that they had never been concerned about because they were not regarded as important in the ongoing business operation.
Pak Mislan and Bu Dewi are great examples of how a husband and wife, apart from building a strong household, are also able to synergize and collaborate to become great business partners who are respected by the local community. The most important thing for them is to work together to ensure the welfare of Indonesian shrimp farmers and local suppliers.
Disclaimer
The entire contents of this article are the result of curation from the author's interview with the resource persons on Thursday, April 28, 2022, at the resource persons’ home and have been approved for publication.
About the Author
The author is a Corporate Legal at JALA.
