Malalak Farmers Urge Government to Address Cinnamon Selling Prices

Agam Regency (ANTARA) — A number of cinnamon (Cinnamomum) farmers in Malalak District, Agam Regency, West Sumatra, are hoping the government will regulate and pay greater attention to the selling price of the spice, which they consider far too low.

“We very much hope the government will pay attention to the selling price of cinnamon for farmers in Malalak,” said Sulaiman, a cinnamon farmer in Agam Regency, on Sunday.

In Malalak District, aside from rice cultivation, most local residents work as cinnamon farmers. The plant, known locally as kulit manis, is widely grown in home gardens and within forest areas.

Sulaiman said the current selling price of cinnamon to collectors stands at only around Rp30,000 per kilogramme. The price has even fallen as low as Rp20,000 per kilogramme, despite the spice being an export commodity destined for several countries worldwide.

Fellow cinnamon farmer Andri Yandra echoed these sentiments, hoping the government would introduce policies showing greater concern for farmers. He noted that the crop has been the community’s source of livelihood for decades.

“Our children here went to school because of cinnamon — they even became university graduates because of cinnamon. But now the price is very low,” he said.

He explained that each cinnamon tree can only be harvested at the earliest after eight years of growth.

Ideally, according to Andri, the best quality cinnamon bark can only be harvested after 12 to 15 years. However, pressing financial needs frequently compel residents to harvest earlier, resulting in very low selling prices.

Meanwhile, Roni, a local cinnamon collector and trader, stated that the current purchase price at the farm level ranges from Rp30,000 to a maximum of Rp40,000 per kilogramme.

“The purchase price depends on quality. If it is good quality, it can reach Rp40,000 per kilogramme,” he said.

Cinnamon farmers in Malalak had temporarily ceased production after being affected by flash floods at the end of November 2025. It was only about a month later that their cinnamon supply — which reaches markets in Malaysia and as far as Europe — began flowing again.

Cinnamon collectors in Agam transport the spice to Bukittinggi before it is exported abroad.