JAKARTA – Desa Wisata Negeri Hila (Negeri Hila Tourism Village), one of developing villages under assistance of PT Astra International Tbk (ASII), has managed to export its agricultural produces to European market. Other than agricultural products, this village is now becoming one the main tourism destinations in Ambon, Maluku.

Mohamad Nurdin Lating, the Initiator of Desa Sejahtera Astra (DSA) Wisata Negeri Hila, claims that the community’s income has risen 30% since last year after receiving assistance from Astra. “The community in DSA Wisata Negeri Hila receives assistance in forms of village development, training, nutmeg cultivation, and supplying homestay equipment facility, which has become one of main livelihoods of the people,” he added.

According to Lating, the people has other means of living, including selling craft woods and kue lopis, as well as managing nutmeg, clove, and cacao plantations, which have turned into ecotourism destination alternatives in Leihitu. Some of those local commodities that are now breaking in to the European market are nutmeg, clove, and cacao. “In a year, the total harvest of nutmeg in Hila Village could reach 6 tons, equal to total export worth IDR 1.5 billion,” he said.

DSA Wisata Negeri Hila is located in the northern shore of Ambon, recording 6,850 souls. This village has been assisted by Astra since 2022, and now has evolved to one of tourism destinations in Ambon due to its cultural and marine potentials, history, nature and man-made landscape, culinary, and handcrafts.

Lating is the head of the Nutmeg Farmers’ Group of Uli Halawang Hila. He also plays a role in making the produces of this farmers’ group to be certified by European Union. His group is collaborating with the government to establish a network of exports of nutmeg, clove, and cacao, to reach China, India, United States of America, and Canada.

It is worth mentioning that ASII is one of the constituents of Indeks52 that is managed to be listed under the entire four categories: Main Index, High Dividend, High Growth, dan Big Market Capitalization. This achievement is made possible as the performance of ASII has continued to improve, at least within the past five years. (LK/ZH)