Livestock is an important sector in East Sumba that need to develop, one of which is pig farming after being hit by a virus a few years ago. Slowly but surely, the pig farms in East Sumba rose and the pig population increased with the involvement of various parties from pig breeders, the government, and institutions concerned with livestock development. There are some effortsdone to support the increase pig farming in East Sumba, from animal health vaccines, provision of quality sows and piglets, strengthening human resources of the breeders and farmer group networks, making alternative feeds, and processing livestock production.

The empowerment of human resources in animal husbandry is a concern of Stube-HEMAT through the Multiplication program to create pig breeders who are independent to provide piglets,  to rearthe cattle, and to provide feed, and to make pork production. This upstream-to-downstream processing effort is projected to be profitable and to be more sustainable.

Multiplication of Stube-HEMAT in Sumba initiated a training on making pork floss which was attended by twenty-four participants from pig farmers, local youth, and students. In this training, Ferniyanti Rambu and Apriyanto Hangga served as instructors (13/10/2022). From the initial discussion, each participant said that they had eaten beef floss but did not know how to make it and what ingredients were needed.

The resource person explained materials related to the potencies of pig farming in East Sumba, and pork-based culinary is one of them. She then introduced the ingredients for pork floss and the steps tomake it. The ingredients needed are pork meat, shallots, garlic, pepper, nutmeg, turmeric, lemongrass leaves, salt, cooking oil, and coconut milk. The participants divided the tasks and carried out the stages according to the resource person's directions

The steps to make pork floss are: (1) Boil pork meat until it taste tender, about 60 minutes, and then chop the pork into small pieces; (2) Peel and grind all the spices, use a mixer to mix the spices well;(3) Fry the spices with oil until it’s cooked and add it with some coconut milk; (4) Next, put the pork together and fry until it is dry over low heat to avoid burning;(5) After drying, place the pork on a clean cloth and press the oil until it is completely dry and the pork floss is ready to be served.

The source person informed that there are two kinds of floss, namely ready-to-eat floss, a pork floss which is served after the process of frying and filtering. These usually do not last long because they are still relatively wet with cooking oil. Then the second, packaged floss, which has passed through a process of being fried twice to ensure that the floss is completely dry so that it lasts longer when it is packaged.

From these skills, pig farmers are not only engaged to raise pigs, to supply piglets, and to grow them but to have alternatives for selling and processing pork meat. Training to make pork products into pork floss becomes alternative food products, even it has the potential to become a flagship culinary product from East Sumba, and finally create new jobs for the community. Let’s the pig breeders in East Sumba, take this opportunity. You can do it! ***