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

1. Scarcity of daily workers;
2. Limited knowledge on silvicultural aspects;
3. Limited knowledge of rattan pests and disease; and
4. Difficulty to manage both supporting trees and rattan.
Perum Perhutani organizes the whole operation. Local people, both men and
women, are hired as labor to collect rattan fruit, to transport it, prepare the seeds for
planting, and to operate the nurseries. Perum Perhutani provides even the tools.
Fruit collection is seasonal, coincident with the fruiting season of the rattan. It
typically lasts just one month. Contracts involve a standard payment of around Rp
100/kg of fruit, plus transportation costs (US$1 = Rp 2 363). Daily wages for rattan
fruit collecting average Rp 12 450/day. The fruit is processed to remove the pulp and
prepare the seeds for germination. Payment is made on a piece-work basis, at the rate
of Rp 150 per fruit, yielding incomes of Rp 2 400-14 250 per day or Rp 64 000-285 000
per month. The average monthly family income from rattan seed collection and
processing activity is Rp 91 300 (the 'Minimum Physical Requirement' ---- the poverty
line ---- for the area is Rp 186,188/month).
Nursery work involves soil preparation, hardening, tending, weeding, polybag
filling, field preparation, seed-bed construction, etc. although both men and women
are employed at the nurseries, 70% of the workers are women. Wages are set at the
local wage standard. Men are paid Rp 3 000/day, while women receive Rp 2 500/
day for 5-7 hours/day, 26 days/month, 12 months/year. Typical earnings are
thus Rp 65 000/month. The average household income of people employed at the
nurseries is Rp 116 480/month.
Plantation work is done primarily by men, mainly because it is heavy work. It
is seasonal (3 months: December-February) and serves as a supplementary activity
for people whose main activities are farming and working as farm laborers, or as
laborers in tea plantations, pine or damar tapping. The survey revealed that these
laborers tend to own small amounts of agricultural land and a few livestock (average
0.134 ha rice field, 0.359 land for other field crops, 0.054 ha home garden, 1 cow,
1 goat and 11 chicken). They are hired by Perum Perhutani at an average wage rate
of Rp 3 500/day, on a 7 hours/day, 24 day/month basis. Payment is weekly. Total
earnings from rattan planting average Rp 81 000/month.
It has been estimated that on a total monthly household earning of Rp 109 800,
rattan activity contributes 17%. Other income is derived from farming and trading.
The average family size in the area is four. In many families, two members are
involved in rattan work. Among these people land ownership is very limited ---- 70%
of workers own an average of 0.2 ha rice land, while the rest are landless. Some
people have fish ponds, cattle, chicken (average of 7) and goat (average of 1). Most
live below the poverty line.
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