Regent Of Temanggung HM. Al Khadziq Asks Big Cigarette Manufacturers To Appreciate Tobacco Farmers

TEMANGGUNG - Regent HM Al Khadziq came to the Temanggung Gudang Garam representative, he asked that the farmers' tobacco be properly rewarded. Because the quality of this year's harvest is better.

"On behalf of all the farmers and all tobacco traders of Temanggung, I ask that the factory price be increased again, so that all parties are happy that no one is harmed," he said in a written statement submitted to the editor on Friday, August 27.

The results of the monitoring of the Temanggung Tobacco Cluster at the Gudang Garam and Djarum Kudus factory representatives, Thursday, August 26, 2021, the purchase price of grade-C tobacco is around Rp. 62,500, with an increase in price per totol (grade) of around Rp. 20 thousand to Rp. 25 thousand.

However, according to the Regent, the price is still detrimental to farmers and traders. So he asked for the price to be increased again in line with the quality of the tobacco that would be getting better. The Regent invited all farmers to work on pure tobacco, not to interfere. Farmers must be honest and also sell to honest traders: weigh-and-pay, no angetan, no deductions.

Meanwhile, representatives of PT Gudang Garam are ready to buy 10,000 tons of tobacco from farmers in Temanggung Regency, Central Java, during the 2021 tobacco harvest. "Our target is to buy 10,000 tons of tobacco, hopefully later it can depend more on the company, if the company asks to buy it, we will carry it out. ," said a representative of the cigarette factory PT Gudang Garam Hartanto in Temanggung, as reported by Antara, Thursday, August 26.

Talking about the price of tobacco, he said it depends on the quality of the tobacco. If the quality is good, it will be bought at a good price. He conveyed that the price of tobacco at the beginning of this harvest had reached Rp. 62,500 per kilogram, but not much.

Hartanto hopes that the weather will remain sunny until the end of the harvest so that the tobacco drying process can run well. "If exposed to sunlight, the quality will be good and the price will also be good," he said.

Regent HM Al Khadziq said the results of monitoring at the tobacco purchasing warehouse showed that two large cigarette factories had purchased tobacco by implementing strict health protocols. He really appreciates the representatives of Gudang Garam and also Djarum who apply strict health protocols in the process of purchasing farmers' tobacco.

He said that during the visit his party conveyed the hopes of farmers and "bakul" (traders), firstly that the current weather is good and the quality of tobacco is getting better.

"I submit a request from the community and traders so that along with the better quality, I beg for the price to be better, even higher," he said.

In addition, HM Al Khadziq also asked the factory to absorb all of the farmers' tobacco, which is estimated that the Temanggung farmers' tobacco harvest this year will reach 14,000 tons.