Through the Desa BRILiaN Programme, Pajambon Village in Kuningan Becomes a Model for Village Economic Transformation Based on Local Potential
Transformasi ekonomi desa berbasis potensi lokal kian menunjukkan dampak nyata terhadap penguatan ekonomi kerakyatan. Hal ini tercermin dari Desa Pajambon, Kabupaten Kuningan, Jawa Barat, yang mampu mengoptimalkan sektor pertanian, peternakan, pariwisata, hingga ekonomi kreatif sebagai ekosistem ekonomi desa yang produktif dan berkelanjutan. Capaian tersebut mengantarkan Desa Pajambon masuk dalam jajaran desa terbaik Program Desa BRILiaN.
Di tengah hamparan kebun sayur dan jambu merah yang subur, sektor pertanian menjadi fondasi utama penghidupan masyarakat. Berbagai komoditas unggulan seperti sayur-sayuran, jambu merah, kopi, hingga tanaman hias menjadi penggerak utama aktivitas ekonomi masyarakat. Seluruhnya dikembangkan secara terintegrasi. Potensi tersebut turut diperkuat melalui pengembangan destinasi wisata, yakni Curug Lembah Cilengkrang dan Agrowisata Pakuon yang mulai dirintis sejak 2022 sebagai sumber pertumbuhan ekonomi baru di desa.
Kepala Desa Pajambon Nani Arinngsih menyampaikan bahwa pengembangan klaster menjadi pendekatan utama dalam mengoptimalkan potensi desa agar memberikan nilai tambah ekonomi yang lebih luas bagi masyarakat. Melalui penguatan klaster, setiap sektor dapat tumbuh secara lebih terarah dengan dukungan pemerintah desa.
“Dengan adanya klaster-klaster ini, pemerintah desa memberikan dukungan agar dapat meningkatkan ekonomi masyarakat,” ujarnya.
Upaya penguatan klaster tersebut menunjukkan hasil yang signifikan. Dari ribuan desa yang mengikuti Program Desa BRILiaN, Desa Pajambon berhasil menembus 40 besar hingga masuk dalam 15 besar nasional. Momentum ini dimanfaatkan untuk mengakselerasi pengembangan kawasan, khususnya Agrowisata Pakuon sebagai salah satu ikon pertumbuhan ekonomi lokal yang terus bertumbuh.
Penguatan kelembagaan ekonomi desa dijalankan melalui pengelolaan unit usaha secara terintegrasi oleh Badan Usaha Milik Desa (BUMDes). BUMDes mengelola sejumlah lini usaha, mulai dari BUMDes Mart, pengembangan Agrowisata Pakuon, hingga program ketahanan pangan berbasis pertanian dan peternakan. Selain itu, BUMDes juga menghadirkan layanan keuangan melalui BRILink Agen untuk memperluas akses transaksi masyarakat.
Komoditas jambu merah yang telah dikembangkan sejak 2008 menjadi salah satu komoditas unggulan desa. Hasil panen tidak hanya dipasarkan dalam bentuk segar, tetapi juga diolah menjadi berbagai produk bernilai tambah guna memperluas pasar dan meningkatkan nilai ekonomi.
Village economic transformation based on local potential is increasingly demonstrating tangible impacts on strengthening the people’s economy. This is reflected in Desa Pajambon, Kuningan Regency, West Java, which has successfully optimised sectors such as agriculture, livestock, tourism, and the creative economy as a productive and sustainable village economic ecosystem. This achievement has placed Desa Pajambon among the best villages in the Desa BRILiaN Programme.
Amid vast expanses of vegetable gardens and fertile red guava orchards, the agricultural sector serves as the primary foundation for the community’s livelihood. Various flagship commodities, including vegetables, red guavas, coffee, and ornamental plants, have become the main drivers of the community’s economic activities. All of these are developed in an integrated manner. This potential is further strengthened through the development of tourism destinations, namely Curug Lembah Cilengkrang and Agrowisata Pakuon, which began to be pioneered in 2022 as a new source of economic growth in the village.
The Head of Desa Pajambon, Nani Arinngsih, stated that cluster development is the primary approach in optimising the village’s potential to provide broader economic added value for the community. Through cluster strengthening, each sector can grow more directedly with support from the village government.
“With these clusters, the village government provides support to improve the community’s economy,” she said.
The cluster strengthening efforts have shown significant results. Out of thousands of villages participating in the Desa BRILiaN Programme, Desa Pajambon has successfully entered the top 40 and advanced to the national top 15. This momentum is being utilised to accelerate area development, particularly Agrowisata Pakuon as one of the icons of ongoing local economic growth.
Village economic institutional strengthening is carried out through integrated management of business units by the Village-Owned Enterprise (BUMDes). The BUMDes manages several business lines, from BUMDes Mart, the development of Agrowisata Pakuon, to food security programmes based on agriculture and livestock. In addition, the BUMDes also provides financial services through BRILink Agents to expand the community’s transaction access.
The red guava commodity, which has been developed since 2008, has become one of the village’s flagship commodities. The harvest is not only marketed fresh but also processed into various value-added products to expand the market and increase economic value.