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Cassava farmers decrease output as imports bite farm prices
An increase in imported cassava and tapioca has contributed to a fall in prices and a corresponding decline in domestic production of the root vegetable for at least 15 years, most noticeably in Lampung, a growing issue that the government is yet to tackle.
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Stock illustration of cassava (Shutterstock/Julio Ricco)
D
omestic cassava production has declined over the past decade as a result of lower farmgate prices discouraging farmers from planting more, the Indonesian Cassava Society (MSI) has said.
The organization’s chairman Arifin Lambaga said the condition was apparent in Lampung, which contributed 40 percent of the national cassava supply, noting that production levels had dropped from 9 million tonnes in 2010 to below 5 million tonnes in 2019.
According to the MSI, cassava farmers were struggling mainly due to the persistently low buying price offered by the tapioca industry, which absorbs around 90 percent of the supply.
In December last year, the Lampung provincial administration agreed to set a price of Rp 1,400 (9 US cents) per kilogram of cassava, with a maximum 15 percent deduction for agricultural waste. However, many buyers continued to ask for a lower price and applied larger deductions of up to 30 percent.
Thousands of cassava farmers held a rally on Jan. 13 at the Lampung governor’s office and the regional legislature, demanding the per-kilogram price of Rp 1,400 be enforced.
To reach a middle ground between farmers and industries, the MSI has proposed a price of Rp 1,200 per kilogram with a 15 percent cap on deductions for cassava waste.
It also urged the government to provide greater support for cuttings and fertilizers while ensuring transparent decision-making on cassava imports.
