SEKAYU, JurnalPost.com – Gambir is more than just raw resin. Behind the long process of picking, boiling, pressing, settling, and drying the leaves lies a much greater economic potential if this commodity can be processed into value-added products.
Efforts to ensure gambir does not remain a mere raw material were the primary focus of a discussion titled “Gambir Naik Kelas: Potensi Pengembangan dan Hilirisasi Gambir Muba” (Gambir Upgrading: Development and Downstream Potential of Muba Gambir), held by the Investment and One-Stop Integrated Services Agency (DPM-PTSP) of Musi Banyuasin (Muba) Regency, South Sumatra, on Wednesday (9/30/2026).
The event, which took place via Zoom, was conducted in collaboration with the AgraCantika Team. The forum brought together government representatives, academics, regulators, and business players to map the potential of Muba gambir and formulate downstream strategies to develop the commodity into high-value products, including catechins and tannins.
Three speakers attended the discussion: Prima Luna, Head of the Research and Testing Center for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (BRMP TROA) at the Ministry of Agriculture; Sari Romayana from the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BBPOM) in Palembang; and Ruri Arimbi, a business owner and proprietor of PT Raksasi Ruri Arimbi.
This activity is part of the AgraCantika Team’s Capstone Project for the 2026 SDG Academy Indonesia program. The program is based on the idea of improving the living standards of gambir farmers through product value addition, including the development of crafts and soaps made from gambir.
This initiative also aligns with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including poverty reduction, the creation of decent work and economic growth, the strengthening of industry and innovation, and the implementation of responsible production.
The collaboration between parties established in the forum also reflects the spirit of partnership in achieving sustainable development goals.
Representing the AgraCantika Team, Andi Azhar stated that the main issue with gambir does not lie in the quality of the raw material, but in the limited opportunities, knowledge, and access to wider markets.
“Gambir does not lack quality. What we have not provided enough of so far are opportunities, knowledge, and the path to wider markets,” said Andi Azhar.
According to him, quality, safety standards, and market access are three elements that must go hand in hand. With proper processing and standards, gambir resin can be developed into various value-added products.
He also emphasized the importance of positioning farmers as a vital part of the value chain, rather than just suppliers of raw materials.
From the business perspective, Ruri Arimbi shared her experience in developing natural and organic cosmetic manufacturing in collaboration with smallholder farmers.
“As a practitioner in natural and organic cosmetic manufacturing that works in harmony with nature alongside smallholder farmers, it is our duty to innovate and add value to the farmers' harvest,” she said.
Ruri explained that gambir has long been known as a material for textile dyes and leather tanning. In fact, the commodity also has great potential for use in the natural cosmetics industry due to its antioxidant content.
Gambir that has undergone an extraction process, she noted, can be developed into various personal care and health products, such as soaps, shampoos, lotions, and serums.
Its development can combine scientific research, local wisdom, and more environmentally friendly production approaches.
Indonesia's Gambir Export Potential
The opportunity for gambir development is also evident from data presented by the Head of BRMP TROA at the Ministry of Agriculture, Prima Luna.
Indonesia's gambir export value in 2023 was recorded at approximately 74.80 million US dollars with a volume reaching 20.08 thousand tons.
However, Indonesia's gambir exports are still concentrated in a single destination country, and most of the products shipped are still in the form of raw resin with varying quality.
South Sumatra is among the five national centers for gambir. However, its production scale is still far below that of West Sumatra.
Based on the 2023–2024 Plantation Statistics Book, the area of gambir in South Sumatra is recorded at approximately 177 hectares with a production of 8 tons.
According to Prima, this condition actually shows that there is still significant room for the development of the gambir commodity, including in Musi Banyuasin Regency.
Processed gambir products also have a fairly wide market, ranging from the food and beverage industry, pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals, and cosmetics, to leather tanning.
However, its development requires consistency in quality that must be maintained from the cultivation process at the farm level.
Quality Standards as the Key to Downstream Processing
Aspects of product safety and quality were also a focus of the discussion.
Sari Romayana from BBPOM in Palembang explained the importance of implementing Good Manufacturing Practices for Cosmetics (CPKB) for producers who want to develop gambir into cosmetic products.
CPKB is a guideline that must be met by producers so that the cosmetic manufacturing process can be carried out consistently and produce products that meet quality and safety standards.
Sari also revealed that based on BPOM data, gambir from Musi Banyuasin has already been used as an ingredient in natural medicinal products.
This condition shows that the downstream processing of gambir into products under regulatory supervision is not just an idea, but has the potential to be continuously developed.
The Head of DPM-PTSP Muba, Jonni Martohonan, emphasized that the discussion is expected to be the starting point for building a stronger gambir ecosystem.
“We want this activity to be the beginning, not the end. The hope is that there will be training for farmers to strengthen the upstream side of gambir, as well as partnerships to develop downstream processing into high-value products like catechins and tannins, so that the benefits are felt directly by the people of Muba,” he said.
Meanwhile, gambir farmer mentor Nanang Taat Suyudana welcomed the forum. He hopes that the discussions held can be immediately followed up with concrete steps in the field.
“What we need now is real action in the field, as soon as possible,” he said.
Through this discussion, the organizers hope that the collaboration between local government, academics, supervisory agencies, business players, and farmers can be further strengthened.
This collaboration is expected to build a more complete development chain for Muba gambir, starting from improving raw material quality, processing, and meeting standards, to marketing.
For the AgraCantika Team, this forum is an initial step to connect science, quality standards, business players, and market access within a single downstream ecosystem.
If this process can run consistently, Muba gambir has the opportunity to no longer just leave the region as raw resin, but to develop into various high-value products that provide greater economic benefits for farmers and the community.
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