Balangan enthusiastic about growing umbi porang plants

Paringin, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - People in Balangan District, South Kalimantan, are increasingly enthusiastic about developing umbi porang or elephant foot yam, which is economically considered to have the potential to prosper farmers.

A porang farmer, Rumaidi, in Panggung Village, South Paringin Sub-district, told Antaranews Kalsel via Whatsapp on Wednesday, based on data, at least 410 Balangan residents took part in the porang planting business.

With this number of farmers the planting has already used land covering 120 hectares, said Rumaidi.

Their enthusiasm for planting porang can be seen from the number of planted everywhere not only at the scale of garden, but also in the house yard, even in the intercrops of rubber, and yards in rice fields.

This tuber plant has begun to be known among people, who usually live from tapping rubber, since 2016.

Related news: Balangan's porang penetrates international market

Rumaidi said the price of porang for the size of 0.5 kg is IDR8 thousand per kg, while a fruit attached to its branch is reached IDR100 thousand to IDR150 thousand per kg.

However, if it sold in the form of chip (such as dried sweet potatoes) can be IDR60 thousand per kg.

He said there were so many buyers, only the production was lacking, there are even buyers from East Kalimantan.

In the future, porang chip will sell well because of high demand from Japan, added Rumaidin while explaining that planting porang will produce in six months.

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