New Hope Fertilizer with VCO Production from the Coast of Tanamanang Village

The Uma Kokur Community is a group of Indigenous Peoples in Tanamanang Village, East Sumba. Through their Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) business, they not only add value to local commodities – coconuts – but also build local economic independence. After their production house was affected by flooding, with the support of the Nusantara Fund Direct Funding, they were able to renovate the production house to be permanent, increasing production efficiency and quality. Production capacity was also boosted with the provision of equipment and technical training, increasing from 60 bottles to 100 bottles per month. Local coconut farmers also benefited from the good supply chain. A total of 32 families around Tanamanang Village benefited.

The Uma Kokur Community is an Indigenous Community group located in Tanamanang Village, East Sumba. This community focuses on managing local commodities – coconuts – to create sustainable economic ventures, especially through the production of Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO). However, the VCO production house which is the center of community activities was affected by a major flood, so that its condition was no longer suitable for continuing production.

Uma Kokur Community with the support of Nusantara Fund Direct Funding renovated the production house into a permanent building. The renovation includes repairing the building structure, procuring new equipment, and improving sanitation and packaging facilities. In addition, this community also received training on production management, product quality standards, and marketing strategies. The capacity of members in managing VCO production has increased with this training.

Before the renovation, the production house was only able to produce around 60 bottles of VCO per month. Now, after the facilities were repaired and efficiency was improved, production has increased to 100 bottles per month. In addition to increasing the community's income, this success has also created a wider economic impact. The Uma Kokur community is now able to empower local coconut farmers as suppliers of raw materials, providing economic benefits to 32 families around Tanamanang Village.