Mama Siti (52) is one of hundreds of Papuan women who are also farmers, carrying on the tradition of nutmeg cultivation and protecting the forest’s sustainability. Thanks to their hard work, the local nutmeg commodity has thrived, even breaking into the global perfume industry and attracting international brands like Chanel and Hermes.
Nutmeg is a miracle for Papuan women. Mama Siti, the leader of the women farmers there, says the number of nutmeg trees in the village forest of Dusun Pala, Pangwadar Village, Kokas District, Fakfak Regency, West Papua is very large. The nutmeg tree itself is their ancestral heritage.
“The Tomandin nutmeg tree is not just a tree for us. It is a legacy from our ancestors that has lived from generation to generation to give us life. I can only say that Tomandin nutmeg is a miracle for us,” said Mama Siti, through an official statement from Kaleka, quoted on Tuesday (6/5/2025).
For the people of West Papua, the nutmeg tree symbolizes life itself. She is considered the “embodiment of womanhood” and plays a crucial role in sustaining community life. Therefore, the local community prohibits the felling of nutmeg trees.
By caring for and processing nutmeg trees, it shows respect between the community and nature. This also gave rise to a unique tradition during harvest. Usually, the men are responsible for climbing the trees and picking the ripe fruit, while the women are responsible for processing it.
“So far, 118 women have cleaned the nutmeg, by separating the flesh and seeds, and then drying them in the sun,” said Mama Siti.
Two months before the harvest season, the community will sit together and discuss, also known as “wewowo.” During that time, they perform a symbolic ceremony by dressing the nutmeg tree in a kebaya. The kebaya is a traditional garment usually worn by women. The wearing of this attire signified that no one could harvest the young nutmeg, which they usually called “kera-kera.” Then, just before the harvest, the kebaya placed on the nutmeg tree is removed. This removal of the kebaya allows the community to begin harvesting the nutmeg. After that, they left the land to recover naturally.
Innovation in developing nutmeg into perfume.
Unfortunately, the price of nutmeg in Papua is relatively low. Its harvest cycle is only twice a year. This condition has caused many farmers economic difficulties. As a result, many of them have seasonal jobs and difficulty meeting their daily needs. “The price of nutmeg is often fluctuating and unpredictable depending on the season. When the price drops, the income from nutmeg is only enough to meet daily needs. “When the harvest season ends, many of us are forced to change professions to support our families,” explained Mama Siti. With no shortage of ingenuity, Mama Siti also tried to turn their fortunes around by transforming nutmeg into a high-value commodity. Mama Siti and hundreds of other Papuan women, with the help of Kaleka – an Indonesian non-profit organization working in environmental conservation, through the Wewowo Lestari program.
The program aims to increase the added value of Papuan nutmeg while also preserving the environment. Through various training and mentoring programs, female farmers are taught better nutmeg processing techniques.
Kaleka Executive Body Assistant, Venticia Hukom, stated that people usually ignore Papuan nutmeg because of its very low oil extraction rate. However, based on research conducted by her institution in collaboration with the French laboratory Association Francaise des Dieteticiens Nutritionnistes (AFDN), there is a way to increase the oil extraction rate of nutmeg from Papua. “So, what was originally 1 percent became 3.5 percent, allowing it to be developed into other derivative products like perfumes and cosmetics,” explained Venticia Hukom.
The discovery proves that Papuan nutmeg can be developed into a perfume product prototype. Venticia intends to submit the product to world-renowned companies like Hermes and Chanel.
Increasing the income of the people of Papua
Venticia stated that her institution has implemented good SOPs at every stage of production, from collecting the fruit to drying the nutmeg using a solar dryer. From that process, nutmeg sales revenue increased by approximately 13 to 40 percent.
These efforts also impact the increase in farmers’ income and contribute positively to the environment. The Mery Tora Qpohi Cooperative – a business established by and for nutmeg farmers – recorded an increase in farmers’ income ranging from 11 to 40 percent, depending on the type and quality of nutmeg sold.
That amount is higher than the income farmers would get if they sold nutmeg to local collectors or middlemen. Utilizing all parts of nutmeg, such as the rind and seeds, also yields new F&B derivative products like syrup and candied nutmeg for supermarkets and cafes in Fakfak. There are also cosmetic products like essential oils.
“With Kaleka’s help, we continue to strive to utilize all parts of nutmeg to minimize waste from its usual accumulation when used as a cooking ingredient.” Currently, we have sold approximately 500 bottles of fruit juice made from nutmeg fruit pulp, which was previously left under the nutmeg trees to rot,” said Siti.
https://mojok.co/liputan/ragam/usaha-petani-di-papua-mengembangkan-bisnis-parfum-hingga-mendunia
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