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Bali Fruits story introducing
Salak is one of tropical plantation that can produce
round to conical fruits shape. The fruits are in a bunch of 10 to
20 pieces. During the fruits season one tree can give 3 to 5 bunches.
The skin of fruit consist of overlapping brown conical to triangle
scales with delicious white meat and one seed inside. The family
name of this plantation is Arecaceae, the Indonesian name is Salak
Palm or Snakefruit and the Species name is Salacca Edulis. Salak
is one of Indonesian original fruits and it also grows it in Thailand.
Why it is called “SNAKEFRUITS” ?
Because the fruit covered by brown scales look like snake skin pattern
with thorns. For well mature fruits, the thorn itself will come
off easily but when the fruit is still young the thorns glue on
the scale strongly for natural protection. It is prohibited to touch
young fruit directly by hand as the thorns are sharp and may injure
easily. It is very easy to identify when the fruit well mature,
by just seeing from the thorns, colour and fruit smell. The good
product are ready to be harvested if the thorns have come off, and
the color changed from brown to yellowish, and radiating nice smell.
Salak is palm family that have leaves' shape
the same as coconut trees, but the trunk itself could not grow up
as high as the other palm family. It only reaches 1 meters height
from the land and if any strong wind blowing, the main trunk will
fall down to the land again. The good production usually produced
when the trunk reaches between 10 upto 20cms length.
The fruit and leave holder are covered by thorns,
so during harvesting time, the farmer has to be extra careful to
take out the ripe fruit from its trunk. One who do not use to walk
among Salak plantations is not allowed to do so, as it is very dangerous
if the thorns are unintentionally touched it can easily tear the
skin or even deep injury. If the thorns do not penetrate deep, its
can be taken out by using safety pin but in case the thorn number
are too much they must be brought to the doctor to get assistance
and event the operation if necessary. Don’t try to walk if
you don’t have an experience or self-confident to do it.
Good land for growing this species (Salacca
Edulis) must fulfil the following conditions :
1. Highland between 700 up to 1000 above sea
level
2. Sunshine between 50-70%.
3. Temperature between 18 – 25 degrees Celcius
4. Soil pH between 5-7
5. Enough water circulation,
6. Terraced land is the best to grow these Salak plantations.
Land get circulation of the wind also add good factor for well
growing. In Bali there is plenty of land still suitable for growing
salak, with fastest producing time around 4 years after planting
time with good care.
CLASSIFICATION OF FRUITS' QUALITY.
In Indonesia, we have three famous variations
of the fruits based on the area of growing :
1. Salak Pondoh grows in Yogyakarta. The fruits
are very famous in Java and is exported to another country. The
price per 1 Kg is around Rp 5000,-at the farmer (producer).
2. Salak Manonjaya grows in Tasik Malaya, exactly at Manonjaya
district, central Java. The fruits are only consumed by local
people and soled locally around Java island. The price per 1 Kg
is around Rp 4000,- at the producer (farmer)
3. Salak Bali, the famous one is Salak Gula Pasir (White Sugar
Salak) which is planted at eastern part of Bali, exactly from
Sibetan village to Rendang village, Karangasem Regency. The plantation
grows well here as all those villages are located between 800
- 1000 above sea level and also the land at these areas is very
fertile after Mount Agung Eruption in 1963. The lava of eruption
has made the land become fertile. The wind circulation is consistent
which results good quality fruits. Good Salak Bali is only produced
in Karangasem Regency and become main products compared to other
agricultural products. Sibetan Salak is the most popular fashion
fruits in Indonesia. If one visit Bali, Salak is the first choice
for souvenir home, although it is actually intra-insular trading
of this fruit is already well established especially shipment
from Bali to big cities in Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and East
Nusa Tenggara. Since a decade, Salak is also a commodity for export
especially to Singapore and Java. The demand is big, but the quality
required can not meet the growing need. Without special preservation
the fruit under normal climate in tropical country like Bali can
stay for 2 weeks, while under temperature of 10 degree Celcius
can stay for 3 weeks and in a freezer can stay for 1 month or
more.
The main harvesting time will be every six
month. The farmer can harvest it's fruits, exactly during rainy
seasons in December, January, February, March to April every year.
The best harvesting time will be falling in January to February.
Each bunch of fruits consist of two or three fruit holders and
have the weight around 2,5 to 3 KGS.
HOW TO MARKET THE PRODUCT IN BALI.
Normally the buyer come directly to the farmers
or their land to negotiate the price. Some time, they can get
better price in the farmer directly compared to buying from wholesaler,
but with this way actually the end-costs will be higher compared
to buy from local wholesaler, since the cost of labor in harvesting,
transporting from the land to the nearer truck parking, sorting,
and others. Normally the labor coming from other areas, in this
case they will use this as their bargaining power get higher pay.
It will be quiet different if they are asked by local people to
work, they will not play the costs, since it is like a contract
that everyday and everyone know what will be the costs if local
people employ other people for hourly, half day or full day.
For the big buyer, it is suggested to deal with local collector
at the first hand producer or Koperasi Petani (Farmer Co-operation)
to get better price and also the quality of the fruits more
fresh if the buyer want to sell it again to another island or
exporting to another country such as Singapore, Malaysia, Australia
and etc. So that the buyer only need the costs of packing and
transporting from the village to the staffing place or consolidating
place with other consignments. Other articles you can find at
http://www.balitraveling.com/articles.htm
By Made Wira
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