TIMESINDONESIA, JAKARTA – An important milestone in the national rubber industry was reached with the operation of the first and only crumb rubber processing plant in Aceh Province. The presence of this crumb rubber factory from PT Potensi Bumi Sakti brings fresh air to thousands of rubber farmers throughout Aceh who have had to sell their crops outside the region, especially to Medan.

With an installed machine capacity of 5 tons of dry rubber per hour or 10 tons of wet rubber per hour, the factory located on 25 hectares of land in Woyla District, West Aceh Regency targets processing up to 100 tons of dry rubber per day, or around 30,000 tons per year. This makes the crumb rubber factory of PT Potensi Bumi Sakti, a company under Arsari Group, a strategic processing center capable of absorbing the production of rubber farmers from various regions in Aceh.

"So far, our rubber farmers have to bear the cost of transportation and face uncertain price fluctuations. With this factory in our own region, the distribution chain will be more efficient and the selling price can be more competitive," said Hashim S. Djojohadikusumo, CEO of Arsari Group, during the inauguration of the Crumb Rubber Factory, PT Potensi Bumi Sakti, Tuesday, July 8, 2025.

Aceh Governor Muzakir Manaf, who attended the inauguration, welcomed the factory. "This is a real step in building Aceh's economic independence. The Aceh government highly appreciates initiatives from the private sector such as PT Potensi Bumi Sakti that invest in the real sector and empower our farmers. We hope that the presence of this factory will trigger the growth of other downstream rubber industries and accelerate economic development based on local potential," he said.

Not only does the factory have an impact on the agricultural sector, it also opens up extensive employment opportunities for the local community. By absorbing local labor, this factory directly helps reduce unemployment and improve the economic welfare of residents.

Moreover, the factory also actively supports regional development programs through Community Empowerment Program initiatives, including: empowerment of local MSMEs, assistance of superior rubber seeds for farmers, community livestock programs and freshwater fish farming.

"The multiflier effect of the presence of this crumb rubber factory is very large. Not only farmers who benefit, but also MSME players, workers' families, and the surrounding community in general," added Hashim.

With the operation of PT Potential Bumi Sakti's rubber crumb factory, Aceh not only affirms its role as one of the national rubber centers, but also demonstrates a commitment to building a sustainable local potential-based regional economy. (*)