What the West Manggarai Market Day Means for Local Farmers

Labuan Bajo — DBS Foundation and Humanis held a Market Day at Rekas Market, Kempo Village, Mbeliling District, West Manggarai, on Wednesday, 28 October 2026. The event was conducted through the Flores Empowerment for Agricultural Sustainability and Transformation (FEAST!) programme.

The market gave farmers participating in Field School a place to introduce garden produce and locally processed food products to the public. Direct sales allowed participating farmers to practise marketing, receive consumer feedback and explore relationships with prospective business partners.

The event was supported by the People’s Coalition for Food Sovereignty (KRKP) and the Association of Women’s Small and Micro Business Assistants (ASPPUK), according to the report. It was conducted both offline and online, with speakers from DBS Foundation.

Visitors could use three areas: Lapak Tani, La’bak and Kelas Terampil Petani. Lapak Tani offered produce and processed food from Field School farmers, while product displays included information on prices, village or group origin and the features being presented to buyers.

Why the market matters to readers

The event showed how a local market can connect farmers with consumers without relying only on intermediaries. The report said farmers could explain cultivation practices, serve buyers, offer products and record transactions with support from a Village Champion.

La’bak served as an educational food-storage and learning space covering Field School activities, the nutritional value of alternative local foods and sustainable agriculture. Supported farmers also shared techniques for making bokashi fertiliser and botanical pesticides.

DBS Foundation describes FEAST! as a three-year programme running from February 2025 to January 2028 in eight regencies on Flores.

Sources

• Ekorantt — regional news organisation
• infomabar.manggaraibaratkab.go.id
• asppuk.or.id