PKK Expert Staff Backs NTT Moringa as High-Value Nutritional and Economic Commodity

Yane Ardian Bima Arya, Expert Staff to the Family Empowerment and Welfare Mobilisation Team (TP PKK) for Strengthening Family Food Security, has backed moringa from East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) to become a flagship commodity with high nutritional value while also boosting the community’s economy. She made the remarks during a speech at a Moringa-Based Food Processing Training event in support of the Nutrition-Smart Family Movement at the Betelalenok Women’s Building, Belu Regency, NTT, on Thursday (25/6). “Let us make moringa one of NTT’s flagship commodities. Let us keep promoting it, ladies and gentlemen! At the same time, let us contribute to realising healthy, strong, and stunting-free families through the consumption of diverse, nutritious, balanced, and safe food,” she said in a written statement on Thursday (25/6/2026). Yane explained that NTT moringa has a denser nutritional content compared to moringa from other regions because it grows in areas with dry soil and extreme climates. For this reason, the central TP PKK is providing training to mothers so that the utilisation of moringa can be optimised. “It is the best, one of the best in the world. So it would be a pity if it is not utilised very well. Besides being easy to cultivate here, moringa contains vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are beneficial for health,” she continued. Nevertheless, Yane reminded attendees that moringa is not the only source of nutrition. Its consumption still needs to be balanced with animal protein such as fish, eggs, and milk. According to her, animal protein contains essential amino acids, iron, zinc, and vitamin B12 needed to support children’s growth and development. “We are not only learning about the cultivation and processing of moringa into value-added products, but also strengthening our understanding of the importance of balanced nutrition for families,” she added. Furthermore, Yane assessed that NTT moringa has the potential to strengthen family food security, improve the quality of public nutrition, and become a commodity with high economic value. This potential needs to be supported through sustainable cultivation and processing into various value-added products. “I hope this training runs smoothly, provides great benefits to the participants, and becomes a concrete step in developing the potential of moringa in East Nusa Tenggara,” she said.