Revitalization of the Lebak Petai Kecik Economy in Menang Raya Village

In 2023, the Menang Raya Village Government, Ogan Komering Ilir, South Sumatra, succeeded in obtaining Lebak Lebung Petai Kecik covering an area of ​​66 hectares, which was originally managed by the sub-district and is now owned by the village. This management was obtained through mapping efforts using the Sustainable Land Use Planning (SLUP) method.

The transfer of Lebak Petai Kecik from the hands of the Sub-district to become an asset of Menang Raya Village has opened up opportunities for independent management by and for the village. The Menang Raya Village Government has made village regulations (Perdes) regarding the management of Lebak Petai Kecik. Where in the spatial planning map of Menang Raya Village, Lebak Petai Kecik is divided into three zones, namely free catch areas, fish farming, and conservation. This zoning takes into account the economic interests of the community and at the same time also prioritizes peatland conservation efforts.

The Nusantara Fund Direct Funding is used to increase the management capacity of Lebak Petai Kecik by the Lebak Management Group of Menang Raya Village. In addition to learning about organizational management and increasing fish processing capacity in various workshops, they also provide fishing gear and small-scale fish cages for freshwater fish farming. The traditional fishing gear "kelong" measuring 100*60 can be used to catch fish in Lebak Petai Kecik for the next 3 years. As for the cages, 3500 red tilapia seeds have been released.

The Lebak Management Group of Menang Raya Village is expanding its network relations with various parties to increase the economic value of Lebak Petai Kecik fish. The fish produced from both kelong catches and from cultivation cages are then submitted to the fish processing group to be processed and packaged into finished products such as smoked fish, bekasam, kelempang, etc. The Menang Raya Village Women's Group, which is one of the key actors in fish processing, also has its capacity increased with training in packaging and production of other processed fish variations such as crackers and shredded fish.

They also work together with the Village-Owned Enterprise (BUMDes) Menang Raya to create a business plan and expand product marketing. Their hard work also received support from the Cooperatives, UMKM, Trade, and Industry Service (DKUPP) of Ogan Komering Ilir Regency. The good organizational work plan and the amount of support they received, as a result the number of members of the Lebak Management Group of Menang Raya Village is now increasing.

In implementing the program, the Lebak Management Group of Menang Raya Village also faces its own challenges. The first challenge is related to the implementation of the lebak auction by the sub-district government. Every year, lebaks in Pedamaran District are auctioned, including Lebak Petai Kecik. So, the Lebak Management Group of Menang Raya Village and the Menang Raya Village Government need to work harder to secure Lebak Petai Kecik in their area.

The second challenge lies in extreme climate change which has caused many of their farmed fish to die and native fish from the Batanghari River are unwilling to migrate into the lowlands. However, overall the program still provides benefits in the form of economic improvement to the 25 members of the Lebak Management Group of Menang Raya Village. In the future, they plan to develop the collective business by creating a smoked fish production house, maximizing the ecotourism potential in Lebak Petai Kecik, and strengthening the capacity of members.