BBPPMT Yogyakarta develops local commodities in South Papua
Jayapura (ANTARA) - The Yogyakarta Community Empowerment Training Centre (BBPPMT), acting as a Technical Implementation Unit under the Ministry of Transmigration, is undertaking the development of local commodities, particularly in the freshwater fisheries sector, within the Domande Transmigration Settlement, Malind District, Merauke Regency, South Papua.
Azsep Kurniawan, the Coordinator of the Assistance Working Team, stated in Jayapura on Friday that during the current dry season, the residents of Domande utilise much of their time catching fish in the swamps.
His office is organising assistance for the processing of gastor fish for the indigenous Papuan people (OAP) in the Domande Transmigration Settlement from 29 September to 1 October 2026. The objective is to ensure that gastor fish products gain added value, thereby improving the standard of living for residents in the area.
“We are attempting to process gastor fish into products such as fish floss and meatballs. Coincidentally, the market value for gastor fish floss remains high in urban areas and is also popular among children in the settlement,” he said.
He explained that the current price of fish floss remains high, ranging from Rp35,000 per 100 grams, whereas the price of raw gastor fish is only between Rp5,000 and Rp10,000 per kilogram.
“Therefore, moving forward, the development of the economy based on local commodities must continue. Not only gastor fish, but there are also abundant marine catches that are hindered by the lack of cold storage and transportation for marketing in the city. There is also an abundance of coconuts that are not merely used for copra,” he added.
He expressed hope that the road infrastructure leading to Domande, parts of which are damaged, could be repaired promptly to facilitate easier market access.
“The development of Human Resources (HR) and infrastructure must proceed in tandem and sustainably, and cross-sector cooperation is an absolute necessity,” he concluded.