InfoSAWIT, LABUAN BAJO – To introduce micro, small, and medium business (MSMB) products in palm oil base, Serikat Petani Kelapa Sawit (SPKS) and Palm Oil Plantation Fund Management Agency (PO PFMA) conducted a workshop with the theme “Pengenalan Produk-Produk UMKM Berbasis Kelapa Sawit kepada Pelaku Wisata di Destinasi Premium Labuan Bajo.”. It was in Labuan Bajo by the late of September 2024. The goal was about to encourage collaboration among MSMB in palm oil and tourism sectors locally.

In the past several years, many palm oil products were developed by the smallholders' unions in many regions in Indonesia. By the supports from SPKS and PO PFMA, the products got new markets, including the potential tourism regions, such as, in Labuan Bajo. The workshop was about to meet every MSMB actor from Manggarai Barat and Manggarai with tourism sectors in the region to expand MSMB products in palm oil – base.

Many stakeholders did attend it, such as, MSMB actors from the Regency of Manggarai Barat, head of MSMB, Cooperation, and Employment Regency of Manggarai Barat, head of MSMB Division PO PFMA, and the representatives of Indonesian Chambers, Regency of Manggarai Barat.

Chairman of SPKS, Sabarudin emphasized it would be significant to introduce palm oil downstream products for the people in Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT), particularly in Labuan Bajo. Even though palm oil is not developing in the regency, he said that many NTT people contributed to palm oil industries as the workers in many plantations in this country.

“For all these years, the people of NTT know palm oil as one sector to get jobs. But by this workshop, we would like to introduce palm oil downstream products, such as, palm oil dodol, palm oil chips, palm oil shredded mushrooms, parfume, and other handy crafts,” he said, as in the official statement to InfoSAWIT, Friday (4/10/2024)

The workshop would be the event to encourage cooperation among every MSMB actors and tourism sectors in the region. SPKS and PO PFMA hoped the event would reinforce their connection namely with the governments to develop the trade in premium tourism destination, such as, Labuan Bajo.

Head of MSMB Division PO PFMA, Helmi Muhansyah said that palm oil products would not be only palm cooking oil but also products that the people used in their daily life. “Palm oil is not only palm cooking oil but also many derivatives products that contributed to the economy nationally. In August 2024, palm oil and its derivative products reached US$ 1,7 billion," he said.

PO PFMA, Helmi continued, trained many smallholders in unions, to produce MSMB products such as cosmetics and handy crafts. They would be ready to be sold to wider markets, including premium tourism regions, such as, Labuan Bajo.

Head of MSMB, Cooperation, and Employment Agency Regency of Manggarai Barat, drh. Theresia Primadona Asmom, did welcome the good intiative of SPKS and PO PFMA. Even though in the Regency of Manggarai Barat palm oil does not develop, more than 7.000 people in the regency worked at palm oil sector out of the region. Theresia hoped the collaboration would encourage the innovation for tourism actors in the region, create synergy between the specific products from Manggarai and palm oil.

Chairman of Indonesian Chambers Regency of Manggarai Barat, Ignasius Charles Angliwarman supported to develop collaboration between MSMS in palm oil base – and tourism sector in Labuan Bajo. “We would keep encouraging tourism sectors to positively deliver advantages for the people’s economy. The collaboration among Indonesian Chambers, the smallholders, and tourism sectors would be the strategic things to reinforce the trade here,” he said.

By the workshop, it is hoped the collaboration among the stakeholders and the government would keep developing, escalate the people’s welfare by MSMB products in palm oil – base. Indonesian Chambers of Manggarai Barat is committed to facilitate the cooperation to get better and more sustainable trade for palm oil products in Labuan Bajo. (T2)