The Bamboo and Rattan Sectors in Asia: an Analysis of ... - INBAR

enforceable boundaries and rattan is harvested wherever it is accessible. No
information is available on rattan species distribution, density or productivity in the
FMUs.
The main commercial species in the area are Tohiti (Calamus inops) and Lambang
(Calamus ornatus var. celebica), which are small-diameter rattan, and Batang
(Daemonorops sp.) which is a large-diameter species. Batang rattan is considered the
most economically valuable, reflecting the high demand for large-diameter cane in
the furniture industry.
The market demand is high, though the official figures show a declining trend.
The volume of trade in Central Sulawesi reached a peak of 57 154 tons in 1987/88,
declined to a low of 17 299 tons in 1992/92 and has recovered to between 30 000 and
40 000 tons in the past three years.
According to local forestry officers, there is also a large undocumented and
illegal trade in the area. They estimate that around 6 000 tons is traded annually to
Tawau, Malaysia (where there are rattan processing and exporting industries). A
large volume, perhaps another 6 000 tons, is traded on the domestic black market.
The Forest Department gives a low priority to rattan resources management. It
is generally assumed that rattan is self-renewing and so requires little input. For
example, there is a royalty charged on rattan, intended for local forest rehabilitation.
Only 35% of the royalty collected is spent on rattan, while 45% goes for local
development and 20% goes to the national government.
The PCS
The main market participants are:
● Rattan gatherers
● Traders (mainly Koperasi Unit Desa (KUD), or Village Cooperative Units).
● Semi-processors
● Labor in the semi-processing factories
● Finished product manufacturers (located mainly in Java)
Rattan is collected from the forest by local people who are engaged by rattan
licence holders, mostly KUDs, and some processing companies. The collectors sell
the raw material, virtually unprocessed, to KUD or other traders at the prevailing
price. These traders then sell the rattan to semi-processors who produce washed
and sulphured (W&S), rattan and a variety of semi-processed products. These
products are then sold to furniture and handicraft manufacturers, mainly located
in Java.
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