Central Kalimantan (Greeners) – Amid declining rattan production in Katingan district, Central Kalimantan because of market access and insufficient price, Sakariyas, head of Katingan district, said that they have yet to give up developing and improving its potentials.
Based on the recent survey in 2018 by Katingan administration and WWF Indonesia, the potential of rattan covers at least eight sub-districts with a total of 104,572.23 hectares, comprises of 41 types of rattan.
From the total areas, it is predicted to produce 136,028 hectares per year of wet rattan and 12,695 tons per year of dry rattan.
“All kinds of efforts we have taken to restore the essence of Katingan rattan. We have been instructing farmers to do innovation, such as village innovation, inviting instructors to produce [rattan] crafts but still insufficient. We are not giving up and still looking for ways out of these problems of rattan,” he said in Katingan, on Thursday (31/01/2019).
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In addition, Katingan administration develops cooperation with rattan processing industry in Java island, provides facilities for rattan management, set up schools for rattan management, facilitate rattan crafts training, and establish rattan farmers association. The efforts are part to realize the district’s vision as the production center and trade of rattan in Indonesia.
“We have done all possible efforts however the access to the market is difficult, we are at loss here,” he added.
The 2011 Trade Ministerial Decree on Rattan Export and Rattan Product banned raw rattan, original rattan, washed and sulphurized rattan and semi-finished rattan for exports to meet domestic demands.
However, domestic market turns out to be limited. In addition, plastic mix rattan products are cheaper and similar to original rattan.
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Sabtul Anwar, head of cooperation, small enterprises, trade and industry agency in Katingan, said that there is a plan to establish a warehouse in Cirebon of West java to cut distribution costs for rattan products aiming to expand their access to markets.
“Currently, Katingan has four warehouses for storing rattan, three in Kasongan sub-district and one in Marikit sub-district. The idea to built the warehouse in Cirebon is to cut distribution costs. If we rely only once in eight months delivery, the selling capacity of Katingan is very low. Hence, the warehouse in Cirebon for wet rattan or semi-finishing. We need to ensure craftsmen in Cirebon to buy our products as we will routinely supply Katingan rattan for them,” said Anwar.
Reports by Dewi Purningsih
21 Apr 2024 
