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Papuan Farmers and BRIN Develops White Paperbark Downstream Industry
WINDONESIA August 22, 2024
White paperbark oil produced by Rimba Jaya Village in Biak Numfor Regency, Papua. (National Research and Innovation Agency)
The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) is developing the white paperbark downstream industry in Rimba Jaya Village, East Biak District, Biak Numfor Regency, Papua Province. Biak Numfor Protected Forest Management Unit (KPHL) Technical Implementation Unit (UPTD) Head Meilanny Margaretha Lea claims that the industry provides economic benefits to the local community, especially in terms of school fees and social benefits.
"The area for white paperbark [cultivation] land, which initially started from 5 hectares (ha), has now reached 49 ha," she stated on July 16, 2024.
Meilanny added that white paperbark oil production has been managed together with the Kofarwis Forest Farmers Group since October 2015. although the community only felt the cooperation's impact starting from the first harvest in 2017.
"This program can change the mindset and behavior of the Rimba Jaya community, which initially did more illegal logging," she explained.
The Kofarwis Forest Farmers Group then received training on seeding and sowing white paperbark seeds. Meilanny also said the East Biak District is a water reserve area that can meet the needs of the entire Biak Numfor Regency. The planting of white paperbark is considered to be able to maintain sources of water in the location.
"The community can meet their needs, both for school fees and others," she said. "The white paperbark [plantation] also provides social benefits because it can be a learning space for schools."
The downstreaming of white paperbark began with the BRIN research program developed by Applied Botany Research Center Principal Expert Researcher Anto Rimbawanto. The BRIN team researched white paperbark seed cultivation and the downstreaming of superior seeds from the plant. The pilot project started from the individual level, the to the farmer group, and finally the industry level.
Anto stated that the program had been awarded the 2022 Kalpataru Environmental Rescue Award. He added that the productivity of white paperbark plantations in Indonesia is still quite low due to the poor genetic quality of the seeds they use.
"This low productivity has caused Indonesia to still import more than 3,000 tons of white paperbark oil per year to meet the needs of the white paperbark oil industry," Anto concluded.
Source: tekno.tempo.co