Beautiful Banda Islands save 'fruit of kings'<\/p>\n
By Chris McCall<\/p>\n
PULAU BANDA BESAR, Maluku (Reuters): A few centuries ago, one
\nof Indonesia's distant and beautiful Banda islands was traded for
\nManhattan.<\/p>\n
The key was a sensitive tree that produces two spices, nutmeg
\nand mace, then two of the world's most valuable commodities. In a
\nmassacre in the 17th century, the Dutch killed most of the
\nislanders to gain control of the nutmeg groves.<\/p>\n
But the groves have been gradually going to ruin for decades.
\nWorld prices slumped as plantations were developed elsewhere.
\nGovernment firms marketing Banda's produce have twice gone
\nbankrupt.<\/p>\n
From half a million trees a few centuries ago, the number has
\nplummeted to around 30,000.<\/p>\n
And many of the trees left are now a century old, or more.
\nThere had been virtually no replanting since Indonesian
\nindependence in 1945 -- until now.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's economic crisis provided an incentive to get
\nthings organized. The weak rupiah pushed the value of exports
\npaid for in dollars through the roof in rupiah terms.<\/p>\n
Both nutmeg and mace are prime export items. The local
\ncommunity has seized the opportunity to finally begin a
\nreplanting program and save nutmeg from dying out in its home.<\/p>\n
Des Alwi, the 'king' of Banda, says nutmeg prices have soared
\nfrom Rp 2,500 rupiah per kg to as much as Rp 40,000, and mace
\nfrom Rp 4,000 rupiah per kg to Rp 70,000 rupiah.<\/p>\n
Although not as valuable as when it was the food of kings,
\nnutmeg is still widely used as a preservative. One big customer
\nis Coca-Cola, which closely guards its secret beverage formula.<\/p>\n
The nutmeg is an extremely fussy tree. It needs a tropical
\nclimate, volcanic soil and a light sea breeze to grow. The dried
\nand ground down nut produces nutmeg. The red, waxy covering of
\nthis nut produces mace.<\/p>\n
\"It is the queen of trees. If you put a factory there, I don't
\nthink nutmegs would grow,\" said Alwi.<\/p>\n
The Banda Culture and Heritage Foundation, a local group that
\nAlwi heads, has struck a deal with the regional government, which
\nowns most of the plantations on the islands.<\/p>\n
They formed a new firm, PT Pala Banda Permai. Local people
\ncollect the fruit from the groves, where the delicate plants are
\nsheltered by towering kenari trees. Half of what they collect is
\ngiven to the firm, which also buys the other half.<\/p>\n
Jailani Nurbati, head of Lonthoir village, likes the scheme.<\/p>\n
\"The people from here have the results,\" he said.<\/p>\n
A replanting program has also started. Colonial records have
\nbeen scanned to find which trees provide the best seeds. That can
\nalso be determined by looking for the droppings of the nutmeg
\ndove, which instinctively searches for the best fruit.<\/p>\n
Alwi says he has invested US$500,000 of his own money in the
\nreplanting project. The government earlier promised $2 million,
\nbut funding was withdrawn after the fall of former president
\nSoeharto.<\/p>\n
Dozens of seedlings are now sprouting in a nursery on Pulau
\nBanda Besar. Some have already been transplanted.<\/p>\n
Alwi points out that although there are nutmeg plantations
\nelsewhere, those trees gradually get inbred.<\/p>\n
\"You use the same tree, the same seed in an area where the
\necosystem is not correct. They degenerate. Banda does not
\nrepresent much, but Banda is the original home. If Banda is
\nfinished, then there would be no more nutmeg in the world.\"<\/p>\n
The Dutch occupied all of the Bandas in the early 17th century
\nexcept the most outlying island of Run, which was held by the
\nEnglish. In order to gain control of the whole archipelago and
\nthus dominate the lucrative nutmeg trade, the Dutch swapped Run
\nfor a Dutch possession in North America -- Manhattan island.<\/p>\n
The fruit of kings is part of daily life here and Bandanese
\nwant to keep it that way. This rare fruit routinely makes it way
\ninto local cooking and even jam.<\/p>\n
\"We consider this our heritage because so many of us were
\nkilled because of this,\" said Alwi.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/beautiful-banda-islands-save-fruit-of-kings-1447893297",
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