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Company Description: PT Sumber Alam Sutera is a company specialising in hybrid rice production. It started trading in South East Sulawesi in 2003 and was bought by the Artha Graha group in 2006.1
Owned by: The Artha Graha group is owned by Tomy Winata, a highly controversial figure who is believed to be involved in mafia operations, and has strong connections with the military.2 There have been several scandals connected to the way Tomy Winata’s companies do business. In 2002 two Indian businessmen were arrested and detained as part of a commercial dispute. In 2003, when Tempo magazine linked Tomy Winata to the fire that destroyed the Tanah Abang clothes wholesale centre, its offices were physically attacked by 200 people and its editor later jailed.3 In March 11 a diplomatic storm blew up between Indonesia and the US when Australian newspapers discovered allegations in Wikileaks that suggested that the Indonesian president may have received campaign funds from Tomy Winata4
Plans in Merauke: PT Sumber Alam Sutera already has a 2500 hectare concession in Okaba Kampung, Kurik district, some of which it has been using to conduct field trials since 2008.5 Apart from hybrid rice, the company has also been experimenting with soya, horticulture and cattle farming.
The company has also been awarded a small area in Cluster 2 of the MIFEE area for growing rice seedlings.6
International links: Sumber Alam Sutera has an agreement with a Chinese company, Guo Hao Seed Industries, to develop hybrid rice in Indonesia.
Address: Gedung Artha Graha Lt.32, Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 52 – 53 SCBD, Jakarta Selatan
Tel : 021.5150510 Web : www.padihibrida.com (offline as of February 2012)
1. http://komunitasamam.wordpress.com/2010/03/08/heka-hertanto-direktur-pt-sas-padi-hibrida-solusi-ketahanan-pangan-nasional/
2. http://majalah.tempointeraktif.com/id/arsip/1999/05/31/OPI/mbm.19990531.OPI95055.id.html
http://majalah.tempointeraktif.com/id/arsip/2010/08/16/EB/mbm.20100816.EB134382.id.html
3. http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/EC15Ae03.html
4. http://www.smh.com.au/world/president-rejects-corruption-claim-20110311-1brc5.html
5. http://pasarmodal.inilah.com/read/detail/341911/dukung-food-estate-merauke