The Indonesian word naga refers to dragons. Ancient, mythological, serpent-like creatures that live in the myths and folk lore of so many cultures. But there are no dragons in Kampung Naga. Yet, be there dragons or not, life in this mistakenly-translated “Dragon Village” is no less ancient nor mythical than that creature itself. It is a realm, disconnected from the age we live in and hardly tethered by threads of the 21st century. It is a place where lives and life itself is set in another dimension.
The origin of the name turns out to be more down-to-earth rather than anything else: it is cleverly abbreviated from the Sundanese dialect phrase, dina gawir, which means “beneath the hills,” or more simply, a valley. As the people like to shorten the name, thus it becomes “Kampung Naga” or Naga Village. Despite its fierce name it is in reality a very peaceful place that has preserved its traditional village layout, architecture and way of life. The valley, where the indigenous tribe dwelt is encircled by steep cliffs. Diverse vegetation blankets these massive rocks, and here and there a small waterfall tumbles from a great height. The Ciwulan River, with its gentle current, meanders through this valley and its sienna-colored water nurtures every living thing constantly
The people (still) lived exclusively in the tradition that extends to the old time of Java. They maintain their tradition, way of live, and as well as the numbers of community.
Their house construction is just simply like the old Sundanese house dating back to before “modernization”.
Their way of life do depend on agriculture and supported by fishing in a small ponds found around the village. The founder(s) of the village is highly respected and buried down on the upper hill where spiritually they keep watching and blessing to the people down below.
Other uniqueness of this village lies in the uniformity of the houses: the direction they face, their design, and the building materials. All the gables of the houses face the river and are aligned along an east-west axis. The thatching material for the roofs is ijuk (sugar-palm fiber). Their house is raised up about half meters above ground and supported by 4 or 6 or 8 pillars where underneath for nothing. That’s they way to avoid any danger in account of animal or flood.
There are no motorcycles or any other vehicles in or near the village; they could not negotiate the stairs, anyway. The narrow lanes between the houses are made of round cobble stones, as are the retaining walls and the stairways which led to the upper parts of the village. There is no electricity in Kampung Naga, and even the use of window glass is very recent. All in all, Kampung Naga has just over a hundred houses and as many families. In the village center, right next to the assembly hall, is a small stall selling handicraft items made from split bamboo at very moderate prices. A curious specialty is the collapsible sunhat. The Kepala Adat, the man in charge of traditional cultural affairs, has his house just below the village assembly hall and might be willing, if he is there, to brief you on aspects of the old Sundanese culture as they have been preserved in Kampung Naga. Among these is a monthly procession to the grave of the village’s founder, Sembah Dalem Singaparna, located on a hilltop to the west. Another tradition is s festival called Pedaran in memory of the ancestors; it is held each year during the lunar month of Mulud (the Islamic month in which the Prophet Mohammed was born). On the 12th of Mulud, weapons and heirlooms are ritually cleansed in the river. Reportedly, there was once a book written in Sanskrit containing many details of the history and particular culture of this village; seems to have perished in clashes between Islamic fundamentalist and government troops in the year 1956 when the fundamentalists wanted to set up West Java as an Islamic state.
Sources: http://dieny-yusuf.com, http://www.trekearth.com, http://www.java-travel.com,
and http://us.my-indonesia.info

The population of the entire regency (the city and rural area around it) is about 1.58 million. Like most of West Java, it is mostly populated by Muslim, ethnically Sundanese people, with a small Chinese Indonesian minority. The city is sometimes called the “City of a Thousand Pesantren,” for its many Islamic religious schools. There is a large mosque located in the city.

The city is a trading centre for agricultural produce including rice, corn (maize), peanuts (groundnuts), and rubber. Locally manufactured goods include purses, trays, handbags, floor mats, bowls, straw hats, and paper umbrellas. Tasikmalaya is known for its bamboo and pandanus woven goods and tussah silk printed by batik of particular designs and colors . The production of handicrafts for domestic and international consumption is an important local industry; in 1998 and 1999, export of handicrafts earned 2.6 billion rupiah for the region. There is a place which is famous for plaited handicraft, called Rajapolah.

Tasikmalaya Regency is rich in places of interests and cultural attractions. First of all, there is an interesting area called Kampung Naga. Thirty km from Tasikmalaya, visitors will find the uniqueness of Kampung Naga. The distance from Bandung to this kampong is about 88 km. The people of this Kampong still adhere to the old traditions. Their house building is unique. The uniqueness lays its uniformity, starting from the building materials, the house designs to the direction their houses are facing. Instead of its proximity to modern society, it has retained its traditional customs over the centuries. It is a small village in the beautiful mountains of the Salawu District. The most important traditional ceremony is called “Upacara Pedaran” which illustrates its age-old history and culture, held only once every year.

Places of interest in Tasikmalaya include the most attractive natural resorts. On April 5, 1982, the volcano Gunung Galunggung erupted about 24 km from the city, causing major damage through lahar and ash projection, and forcing a temporary evacuation of the area. From a tourism viewpoint at least, the area has benefited from the latest eruption of the Galunggung Mountain. The remains of the eruption have now become taking scenery and are worth-visiting. A lot of tourists, both foreign and domestic, have started visiting this resort. Shady trees are growing again and visitors can also enjoy the sight the crater and bathing in the spa.

Transportation is easily available, although the distance from Jakarta to Tasikmalaya is about 380 kilometers, and from Bandung about 120 kilometers. Since the road is good the distance can easily be covered by either public or private transport.

2. Potential agricultural sectors for development

- The main objective of the study is to suggest an integrated agribusiness approach that links the improvement of income levels in the primary production sector with the generation of new jobs in a market-oriented secondary processing sector;

- The specific conclusions and recommendations are directed towards five of Tasikmalaya’s agricultural sectors; these have been thoroughly analyzed to define integrated agribusiness approaches. The central focus in reaching the objectives was market-orientation;

From each agricultural sector, the sub-sector with most agribusiness potential has been translated into a potential market-oriented pilot project. The pilot projects are meant to initiate a pro-active approach, i.e. to carry out more in-depth research which will lead to solid feasibility studies and/or bankable proposals for development.

Plantations sector

- The Tasikmalaya Regency produces over ten types of plantation crops. Coconut shows the highest potential for agribusiness development. There are over 110,000 small coconut producers, organized in 325 farmer groups. Presently, 90% of the crop is sold to traders from other Regencies. At present, no value is added in Tasikmalaya, while a processing factory in a neighboring Regency produces coconut milk for export to the US and Japan. The factory sources the nuts from over 10,000 small farmers who are believed to receive higher incomes for their crop than Tasikmalaya farmers receive from their local traders. At the same time, a constant supply of 30,000 nuts per day to this factory can also supports a large number of entrepreneurs using shells and fibers to produce export products such as char coal, coco peat, car-seat fillings and handicrafts. The private investment thus assures and improves incomes for producers and creates jobs, both in the processing factory as well as among entrepreneurs;

- A feasibility study can define the possibilities of attracting investments in a similar coconut milk production plant in Tasikmalaya. Public officials that have been interviewed explain that a plan for this was made but never received proper follow-up. Estimated costs of a factory are around US$ 2 million. The output of the feasibility study will provide directions for the decision to prepare a bankable business plan.

Fish sector

- The Tasikmalaya Regency produces fresh water fish (fish ponds) and marine fish and seafood (sea). Due to available expertise, experience and a growing market demand, production of the Gourami fish in fishponds shows the best potential for a pilot project. With local demand in Tasikmalaya City at 40 tons per month and a supply of 10, there is a market opportunity for additional production of 30 tons per month. At the same time, the high-quality Gourami produced in Tasikmalaya is well-known and exported to other Regencies, where it is being processed and sold to Jakarta traders. Tasikmalaya clearly lacks the infrastructure and organization to a) organize the chain to improve trading and increase bargaining power and b) add value to the produce itself. Producer groups (the breeders of larva’s, the breeders of middle-sized fish, the breeders of full-sized fish), traders with their market linkages to outlets within and outside the Regency, and officers from the Fishery Office, have all concluded that closer cooperation will improve the market position of Tasikmalaya as a major Gourami-producing Regency. The required investments in hardware (fishponds) are relatively low while expertise and infrastructure are fully available;

- A feasibility study will need to define two main elements of a possible investment plan. The first is whether the chain actors are willing to work towards joint business & marketing operation, and how this could best be done (e.g. a Task Force as part of this proposed pilot project). Secondly, if cooperation is feasible, the feasibility study will need to give input for a bankable business plan that suggests investments in 1) new production facilities of Gourami fish (breeder facilities, fishponds), and 2) value adding processing facilities (local processing plant).

Horticultural sector

The Tasikmalaya Regency produces a wide variety of food and horticultural crops. From an agribusiness point-of-view, the Mangosteen fruit showed most potential for further market-oriented development. The Regency is at present one of the major producers of high-quality fruits, with around 14,000 small or larger farmers involved in its production. In the year 2000, the total value of its Mangosteen-exports stood at US$ 6 million, or 45% of Indonesia’s total fruit exports. Small producers see very little of the profits made in this trade. Due to cash flow problems (one-time incomes versus year-around investments), they are forced to sell at low prices to village collectors, who sell to wholesalers, who sell to exporters. There are no entrepreneurs in the Regency that add value to the fruits. Processing activities can add value by producing jams or the base-material for fruit juices, thereby entering possible new export and domestic niche markets;

A feasibility study should determine whether producers can be organized (e.g. in a Mangosteen Association). The goal of the organization is to improve income for the producers by increasing their bargaining power, and by ensuring high quality and steady supply to collectors and wholesalers (as chain members they too could be part of the organization). The pilot project could start with the commitment of a number of chain actors to form a Task Force, aimed at establishing an export or Jakarta-oriented supply chain by supplying high-quality fruits. The second objective of a feasibility study is to define a bankable business plan on required investments for post-harvest facilities (grading, packing, cooled-storage) and for possible processing facilities. In both cases, processors and other chain actors will first need to organize and commit to long-term strategies.

Forestry sector

The Tasikmalaya Regency is involved in a number of forestry activities. The sustainable production of Albizzia wood is believed to have the highest potential for business development. Two elements are important: the Albizzia tree is a fast grower (about six years to harvest) and its way of production may qualify for Eco-labeling. About 7,000 small farmers are producing its wood, organized in 575 farmer groups. The wood is being bought and cut by 150 sawmills (many without a license), and most of the final product is exported. For their income, farmers are dependent on the price that is offered by the collectors. Because of their lack of organization and need for cash flow, farmers have little bargaining power to ensure their fair share in profits made at the end of the chain.

The pilot project aims at improving this through organizing the farmers in a type of Eco-Albizzia Association, where farmers, collectors and wholesalers work closely together. A feasibility study will determine whether chain actors can be organized in an association that improves bargaining power by the production and marketing of high-quality Eco-labeled wood. Activities can be supported by local and international NGOs. The feasibility study will define the actors involved in the first operational activities (a Task Force), with the goal of growing into a true association. The second goal of the feasibility study is to produce a bankable business plan to start a processing plant (sawmill) that is owned by the Association.

Livestock sector

The Regency is involved in a wide range of livestock activities. Beef cattle is selected as the most feasible sub-sector to develop, since local demand is high and not met with local supply. Another reason was the availability of a good supply chain infrastructure, with existing traders and processors already in place. Much of the total consumption is presently imported from other Regencies and from abroad. To meet local demand there is a possibility for 2000 local cattle breeders and 1000 cattle fatteners.

The pilot project aims at a feasibility study to determine how this demand can be met by local supply. The study will need to define in more detail what the costs and benefits of new start-ups will be. It is suggested that an advisory board consisting of experienced chain actors and relevant government officials will be established to advise and guide the study. Investment studies will be done at producer-level and at regional level. The study will define investment opportunities on the individual level (entrepreneurs) as well as on a regional level (development programs).

Summary of Findings

1. Required enabling environment for private sector development

- The overall conclusion is that for an integrated agribusiness approach to work, the Regency needs improved public measures that actively create an enabling environment in support of private sector initiatives;

- Private entrepreneurs in the agro-food sector may contribute significantly to job creation and income improvement. The Tasikmalaya Regency lacks an integrated and market-oriented development strategy for this sector. The present situation discourages rather than supports start-ups in the private sector;

- Without a medium and long-term strategy from the public sector, both foreign and local investors in agro-based industrial activities have no policy framework that defines their business climate. A supportive ‘enabling environment’ framework will need to be developed to support dynamics in the private sector, for example by providing access to financial (start-up) capital and minimizing legal obstacles (licenses, fees, taxes);

- Without this integrated and pro-active approach towards private sector initiatives (producing and processing), Tasikmalaya will continue to face strong competition from imported agricultural products from neighboring Regencies and foreign markets. Meanwhile, due to low investments in own SMEs, high-quality produce leaves the Regency to be processed elsewhere;

- For value-adding processors to succeed and be competitive, a consistent supply of high quality raw materials is required. Farmers should shift from a production-focus towards a demand and market-oriented focus. There is a clear need for institutional and organizational support rather than production-oriented support to make this happen;

- Unless farmers are certain about their ‘right to land title’, investments in market-oriented production may remain low. This results in a production-oriented system with relatively low profits, adding to the threat of agricultural land being converted into land for other designations (e.g. housing, infrastructure). In the longer-run, this could have serious consequences for the agricultural productivity of the Regency;

- The condition of the Regency’s infrastructure (roads, harbors) needed for efficient distribution of agricultural products is currently inadequate. This results in higher costs and a weaker competitive position. Besides infrastructural issues, the Regency lacks well-directed promotion activities for its agricultural products to other Regencies or abroad.