Indonesia Nutmeg Isles Save Fruit Trees of Kings
7/30/99
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Title: Indonesia Nutmeg Isles Save Fruit Trees of Kings
Source: Reuters Limted
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: July 30, 1999
Byline: Chris McCall
PULAU BANDA BESAR - A few centuries ago, one of Indonesia's distant
and beautiful Banda islands was traded for Manhattan.
The key was a sensitive tree that produces two spices, nutmeg and
mace, then two of the world's most valuable commodities. In a
massacre in the 17th century, the Dutch killed most of the islanders
to gain control of the nutmeg groves.
But the groves have been gradually going to ruin for decades. World
prices slumped as plantations were developed elsewhere. Government
firms marketing Banda's produce have twice gone bankrupt.
From half a million trees a few centuries ago, the number has
plummeted to around 30,000.
And many of the trees left are now a century old, or more. There had
been virtually no replanting since Indonesian independence in 1945 -
until now.
THANKS TO ECONOMIC CRISIS
Indonesia's economic crisis provided an incentive to get things
organised. The weak rupiah pushed the value of exports paid for in
dollars through the roof in rupiah terms.
Both nutmeg and mace are prime export items. The local community has
seized the opportunity to finally begin a replanting programme and
save nutmeg from dying out in its home.
Des Alwi, the king of Banda, says nutmeg prices have soared from
2,500 rupiah (36 cents) per kg to as much as 40,000 rupiah, and mace
from 4,000 rupiah per kg to 70,000 rupiah.
Although not as valuable as when it was the food of kings, nutmeg is
still widely used as a preservative. One big customer is Coca-Cola,
which closely guards its secret beverage formula.
The nutmeg is an extremely fussy tree. It needs a tropical climate,
volcanic soil and a light sea breeze to grow. The dried and ground
down nut produces nutmeg. The red, waxy covering of this nut produces
mace.
"It is the queen of trees. If you put a factory there, I don't think
nutmegs would grow," said Alwi.
SHARE AND SHARE ALIKE
The Banda Culture and Heritage Foundation, a local group that Alwi
heads, has struck a deal with the regional government, which owns
most of the plantations on the islands.
They formed a new firm, PT Pala Banda Permai. Local people collect
the fruit from the groves, where the delicate plants are sheltered by
towering kenari trees. Half of what they collect is given to the
firm, which also buys the other half.
Jailani Nurbati, head of Lonthoir village, likes the scheme.
"The people from here have the results," he said.
A replanting programme has also started. Colonial records have been
scanned to find which trees provide the best seeds. That can also be
determined by looking for the droppings of the nutmeg dove, which
instinctively searches for the best fruit.
Alwi says he has invested $500,000 of his own money in the replanting
project. The government earlier promised $2 million, but funding was
withdrawn after the fall of former president Suharto.
Dozens of seedlings are now sprouting in a nursery on Pulau Banda
Besar. Some have already been transplanted.
QUEEN TREE
Alwi points out that although there are nutmeg plantations elsewhere,
those trees gradually get inbred.
"You use the same tree, the same seed in an area where the ecosystem
is not correct. They degenerate. Banda does not represent much, but
Banda is the original home. If Banda is finished, then there would be
no more nutmeg in the world."
The Dutch occupied all of the Bandas in the early 17th century except
the most outlying island of Run, which was held by the English. In
order to gain control of the whole archipelago and thus dominate the
lucrative nutmeg trade, the Dutch swapped Run for a Dutch possession
in North America - Manhattan island.
The fruit of kings is part of daily life here and Bandanese want to
keep it that way. This rare fruit routinely makes it way into local
cooking and even jam.
"We consider this our heritage because so many of us were killed
because of this," said Alwi.
($1=7,000 rupiah).