Cashew group calls to monopoly rights<\/p>\n
MAUMERE, Flores (JP): The Inter-Island Traders Association has
\nprotested the East Nusa Tenggara governor's decision to grant PT
\nSekar Alam monopoly rights over cashew trading in Sikka district.<\/p>\n
The association's district chapter head M. Barono told The
\nJakarta Post here Saturday that the blunt decision could spark
\nprotest as the monopoly would likely reduce cashew prices in the
\ndistrict.<\/p>\n
\"If cashew prices go down because of the monopoly, farmers
\nwould surely become frustrated. And this could lead to social
\nunrest, which could undermine economic and political stability in
\nthe whole province,\" Barono warned.<\/p>\n
He called on Governor Herman Musakabe to withdraw his decree
\nwhich appointed PT Sekar Alam as the only cashew trader in Sikka
\ndistrict and allow the existing traders to operate.<\/p>\n
In a decree, dated July 31, Musakabe ordered Sikka district
\nhead Alex Idong to facilitate PT Sekar Alam as the only cashew
\ntrader in the district to ensure cashew supply for its cashew
\nprocessing plant.<\/p>\n
The governor also told the district head to direct the
\nexisting cashew traders to trade other commodities.<\/p>\n
Barono said the current free trading on cashews has been
\nrunning well, with village cooperatives the main players.<\/p>\n
The planned cashew trading monopoly would likely destroy the
\ncurrent pricing system, which has been accepted by farmers,
\nBarono said.<\/p>\n
He warned that people were already enraged by the clove
\nmonopoly, which had forced them to cut down their clove trees and
\nreplace them with other hard-crop plantations, including cashew
\ntrees.<\/p>\n
\"That policy would only inflict losses to farmers. I'm afraid
\nfarmers would again cut down their cashew trees like what they
\ndid with their clove trees,\" Barono said.<\/p>\n
Last year, the government launched a massive clove conversion
\nprogram, cutting down clove trees and replacing them with other
\ncrops to reduce clove oversupply.<\/p>\n
But earlier last month, the government halted the clove
\nconversion program because of increasing demand.<\/p>\n
Clove trading has been monopolized by the Stock Management
\nAgency, chaired by President Soeharto's youngest son Hutomo
\nMandala Putra, since 1991.<\/p>\n
Barono said cashew traders' objection to the planned monopoly
\nhad been presented to the Sikka district head and the governor
\nthrough letters.<\/p>\n
Sikka district head Alex Idong said Saturday he had listened
\nto cashew traders' concerns and would pass them on to the
\ngovernor. (yac\/rid)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/cashew-group-calls-to-monopoly-rights-1447893297",
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