Manggarai Timur trains 20 MSMEs to process cassava and taro

Labuan Bajo — A training programme in Manggarai Timur has prepared 20 micro, small and medium enterprises to process local cassava and taro into higher-value food products, but available reports place the event in May 2024 rather than September 2026 and there is no public evidence yet of direct links to Labuan Bajo’s tourism supply chain.

The training was held at the Centra Pisang facility in Gola Lada, Borong, and involved 20 developing MSMEs from 12 sub-districts in Manggarai Timur, according to an article by local outlet FloresPos Net. The focus was on helping small businesses turn locally grown tubers into commercial products, with the stated aim of increasing household income and strengthening food-based enterprises.

The programme was organised by the Manggarai Timur Office of Trade, Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises, often referred to locally as Dinas Koperindag. FloresPos Net reported that the training ran for six days and targeted the development of 40 different processed products from cassava and taro.

Products and training focus

FloresPos Net listed several cassava-based products covered in the training, including brownies, sponge cake, snack sticks, fermented cassava, mocaf flour and getuk. These items were presented as examples of how local tubers can be transformed into foods with higher market value, rather than being sold only as raw commodities.

The report described the programme as part of Manggarai Timur’s efforts to optimise the use of local root crops, which officials have identified as one of the regency’s promising commodities. By building up MSMEs around processed foods, the administration aims to improve selling prices and create more opportunities for local workers and household businesses.

Key figures reported:

• 20 participating MSMEs
• 12 sub-districts represented
• 40 targeted processed products

FloresPos Net noted that the training was expected to increase the number of MSMEs based on local food and to contribute to household income, but the article did not identify the individual enterprises or specify which products each business developed.

Market access and tourism links

In separate public statements, Manggarai Timur officials, including acting regent Boni Hasudungan, have emphasised the importance of developing local agriculture and food processing as part of broader poverty-reduction and economic strategies. These policies frame local food processing initiatives, such as cassava and taro training, as steps toward higher-value agriculture and small-business growth.

However, the available reporting on the cassava and taro training does not confirm formal agreements with supermarkets, hotel chains, restaurants or tourism operators in Labuan Bajo. Nor does it document whether any of the targeted 40 products have entered large-scale commercial distribution or obtained the food-safety permits normally required for wider retail sales.

Local media coverage of individual snack businesses in Manggarai Timur shows that some MSMEs are already producing and selling cassava and taro-based chips and sticks from local ingredients. These stories highlight growing demand for packaged tuber snacks and daily turnover in the hundreds of thousands of rupiah, but they do not directly link those businesses to the specific training programme at Centra Pisang.

Timing and policy context

FloresPos Net dated its report on the training to 20 May 2024, stating that the head of Dinas Koperindag spoke about the programme on that day. That public report is the clearest available indication of the event’s timing and does not support a date of 15 September 2026.

The training aligns with Manggarai Timur’s longer-term policy direction. Regional planning documents and public statements by officials describe a vision of sustainable agrobusiness, in which local agricultural commodities are processed and developed into branded products for wider markets. Cassava and taro processing fits within that strategy as a way to add value locally before goods are sold beyond the regency.

While the initiative could become relevant to the wider tourism economy if products meet volume, consistency, packaging and regulatory requirements, the current public record presents those connections as potential opportunities rather than confirmed outcomes. Further official information would be needed to establish whether the training has led to formal market access in Labuan Bajo or other tourism hubs.

Sources

• FloresPos Net
• Pos-Kupang (Tribun Network)
• Biro Administrasi Pimpinan Setda Provinsi NTT