West Bangka Regent Urges Preservation of 'Kelekak' Durian as Cultural Identity

West Bangka, Bangka Belitung Islands (ANTARA) - The Regent of West Bangka, Bangka Belitung Islands Province, has urged residents to preserve and protect the ‘kelekak’ durian as a local cultural identity with high economic value that can improve family welfare. ‘In West Bangka, especially here in Pelangas Village, there are many ’kelekak’ (a local term for forest-like orchards planted by ancestors with various fruit trees to be passed down to families) and durian trees that produce delicious fruit,’ said West Bangka Regent Markus in Pelangas, West Bangka, on Thursday. He made the statement in response to the Durian Contest held by the Provincial Food and Agriculture Agency in Pelangas, Simpangteritip.

According to him, the ‘kelekak’ durian is a legacy from parents and ancestors that holds high economic value because the seeds planted in the past were of superior quality, resulting in the delicious durians produced today. He noted that although not all durians in the residents’ ‘kelekak’ are classified as premium, residents are still expected to maintain the existing trees to increase production. ‘Durians that are classified as superior can be developed, while those of ordinary quality can be used to maintain stock or be processed into various food products,’ he said. He believes that with this approach, durians will become more valuable and can improve community welfare, as processed durian products sell well and are in high demand among consumers.

Through the durian contest, he hopes new varieties will emerge so that the community can develop them further in the future. He mentioned that many local durian varieties are not inferior to premium ones, and the West Bangka Regency Government has already collected data on the various varieties in the area. Several names have even been proposed to prevent other regions from claiming them. ‘I urge the winners of this contest to continue maintaining the parent durian trees and start developing them so that other residents can also plant these varieties, thereby increasing the production of superior durians from West Bangka. Regarding durian cultivation, the Regency Government, through the Food and Agriculture Agency, is ready to assist in propagating the seedlings,’ he said.

Previously, the Head of the Bangka Belitung Islands Provincial Food and Agriculture Agency, Kurniawan, stated that the durian contest held in Pelangas Village, West Bangka, is a concrete government effort to make local durians more widely known nationally and even internationally. ‘So far, many local durians scattered in various remote villages have the potential to become superior durians but have not yet had the opportunity. Through this contest, we are striving to make them better known so that their selling value increases,’ he said. The durian contest, organised by the Bangka Belitung Islands Food and Agriculture Agency through the UPTD for Seed Quality Verification and Supervision, represents the seriousness of the Provincial Government together with the regency to save and preserve the wealth of local fruit germplasm, especially durian, which is spread to remote villages.