TANJUNG SELOR - Kakao or chocolate in the Apau Kayan area, Malinau Regency, North Kalimantan (Kaltara), has great potential as a flagship commodity in the Indonesian border area with Sarawak, Malaysia.
The potential for cocoa plantations can be spread across a number of sub-districts such as Kayan Hulu, Kayan Hilir, Kayan Selatan to Sungai Boh.
One of the cocoa farmers in Apau Kayan, Judika revealed, cocoa is not just the result of the garden that is planted by residents. However, this commodity can become a main source of income besides farming. At the same time, it gives farmers a high enough economic hope.
"Gardening and production activities are still going on as usual, but the harvest no longer provides adequate economic value," said Judika.
"It's hard to sell it out even though the quality of cocoa is quite good, so we only rely on the collectors who come," he continued.
Judika said that the damaged road infrastructure was the main obstacle to distribution. In addition, access to outside the title area requires a large cost and a long travel time. So it narrows the opportunity for farmers to reach a wider market.
"Cocoa from Apau Kayan is now more widely circulated at the local level. Dependence on collectors makes prices at the farmer level unstable and tends to be low," said Judika.
Currently, the price of cocoa at the farmer level ranges from IDR 20,000 per kilogram. This figure is much lower than a few years ago, when the marketing channel to East Kalimantan (Kaltim) regions such as Mahakam Ulu (Mahulu) to Samarinda.
"The price is still open and has reached Rp. 140 thousand per kilogram," he explained.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Governor (Wagub) of Kaltara, Ingkong Ala, assessed that the main problem was not in production, but in market access and distribution.
"The potential is great, the land is also wide. But we have to reopen market access and improve connectivity so that prices for farmers can be better," said the Deputy Governor.
The Deputy Governor added that his party is currently trying to explore cooperation with the private sector to absorb the results of farmers' cocoa directly.
"This step is expected to shorten the distribution chain and open market access, this cocoa can be a flagship commodity that can improve the welfare of people in border areas," he said.
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