KOTABARU, South Kalimantan: Oil palm farmers in five villages in the district of Kotabaru, South Kalimantan, found them selves nil revenue in the period of March, AntaranewsKalsel reported.
“Oil palm farmers did not generate earnings from the crop were in the village of Sidomulyo, Cantung, Sub-district of Kelumpang Hulu, and Pantai Baru, Bumi Asih, then Pemblacanan, in South Kelumpang Sub-district,” said Deputy Secretary of the Gajah Mada Village Unit Cooperatives (KUD) Narso in Kotabaru, Thursday.
While eight villages that earned revenue from the harvest of fresh fruit bunches (TBS), they were Telagasari Rp500 thousand per hectare (ha), Mandala Rp290 thousand per ha, Sukamaju Rp750 thousand per ha, and Pelajau Baru 350 thousand/ha.
Then Pulau Panci Village Rp350 thousand per ha, Sei Kupang Jaya Rp100 thousand per ha, Sangking Baru Rp100 thousand per ha, and Sei Nipah Rp100 thousand per ha.
Narso explained that one of the causes of no income received by farmers, since the yield of TBS that period fell drastically. The money they got only enough for operational costs, to pay installments on bank loans and others.
“It could be the result of the sale of FFB is not even enough to pay the loan installments and operating costs or otherwise,” he said.
Meanwhile to the price of TBS is rising in general of the normal TBS price in recent weeks.