In the remote village of Desa Inegena, located in North Bajawa District, Kabupaten Ngada, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), the local community has achieved a remarkable milestone by earning the national “Best Integrated Village Economic Transformation” award for 2024. The recognition reflects the success of the village’s candlenut (kemiri) industry which enabled them to export two tonnes of candlenuts to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in September 2025 through the support of the Directorate General of Village Economic and Investment Development.
This achievement is rooted in the village’s strategic planning and active community involvement. Each household tends about one hectare of candlenut trees, with yields harvested twice a year and typical prices reaching IDR 35,000 per kilogram. With financial backing from the government and the Program TEKAD (a joint initiative involving the Indonesian government and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)), the village installed processing equipment such as candlenut cracking machines, dryers, vacuum-sealing machines and solar dome dryers. They also established the village-owned enterprise “BUMDes Maju Bersama” which manages production of shelled candlenuts, candlenut oil and briquettes made from shells. The combined model of participatory economic planning and adding value locally has been key to transforming the village economy and connecting it to export markets.
