Prices Up, Farmers Sell Rubber

By Ulul Maskuriah

Barabai , South Kalimantan ( Antaranews ) - The price of rubber in South Kalimantan starting up from Rp10 thousand to Rp11.500 per kilogram, so farmers began releasing stocks they held.

Operations Manager of PT Dharma Jaya Haruyan Kalimantan, H Mas`adi, in Barabai on Tuesday revealing some time before the rubber market experienced a decline due to declining in selling prices.

The farmers held stock not to sell rubber latex because it only about Rp10 thousand per kilogram. But now they have to sell the existing rubber stock as price go to normal.

"This condition is also very advantageous because we were able to increase the purchase of rubber to be 100 to 150 tons per day. While previously the figures far below," he said.

Mas`adi revealed, many suppliers of rubber coming from outside of the area like Central Kalimantan , Ampah and 

Rantau. While local rubber is still lack. This occurs presumably because many farmers sell to other companies or 

probably the number of production and employment of local farmers still low enough that needs to be improved.

"Actually, the quality of rubbers are same from the past until now, it local rubber production needs to be improved," he said.

Adul, local rubber farmer, said very happy by the improving price of rubber so it was not too long storing the commodity.

Although the current rise is still not much profitable to farmers, but they have to keep selling rubber to collectors and collectors sell it to the factory.

"We have not been able to sell directly to the company  because of limited capital and vehicle," he said.