Clove debts paid

UJUNGPANDANG, South Sulawesi (JP): The Clove Marketing and Bufferstocking Agency yesterday paid its debts of Rp 20.2 billion (US$9.24 million) to clove farmers in this province and Rp 1.6 billion to farmers in Southeast Sulawesi.

The agency's chairman, Hutomo (Tommy) Mandala Putra, delivered the payments in a ceremony here, which was attended by Minister of Cooperatives and Small Enterprises Subiakto Tjakrawerdaya and a number of members of the House of Representatives.

The clove agency, which was assigned by the government to monopolize the procurement and sale of cloves from farmers throughout the country through village cooperatives, had required the farmers to wait for the payment of part of the clove price -- regarded as their savings -- until after it sold the commodity to cigarette producers.

Southeast Sulawesi farmers recently received a debt repayment of Rp 15.4 billion from the clove body.

Tommy is scheduled to pay the agency's debts of Rp 11.4 billion to farmers in Central Sulawesi, Rp 27.8 billion to farmers in North Sulawesi, Rp 5.1 billion to farmers in Maluku and Rp 4 billion to farmers in Halmahera, today and tomorrow. (jsk)