Kunkun Herawanto, Taking pride in Kapulaga Cultivation

For over a decade, Kunkun Herawanto, 48, has cultivated kapulaga (cardamom). The chairman of the Kapulaga Farmers Association of Pangandaran regency, West Java, has mobilized thousands of farmers to grow the plant.

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

Kunkun Herawanto

The spice aroma of kapulaga (Amomum cardamomum) pervaded the air as we entered the warehouse of the farmers’ business enterprise PT Kapolaga Berkah Pangandaran in Cintakarya village, Parigi district, on Monday (Aug. 8). Thousands of kapulaga seeds on bamboo trays were dried in the warehouse measuring 24 by 10 meters.

Behind the storehouse is a machine for sorting kapulaga seeds and cleaning the dust and waste from them. In this way, kapulaga is export-worthy. “The quality of kapulaga is our responsibility. For its price, we arrange contact between farmers and buyers,” said Kunkun.

The various facilities enjoyed by farmers are due to Kunkun’s intervention. Along with his peers, he set up the Kapulaga Farmers Association of Pangandaran in 2008.

Through the association, Kunkun strives to solve kapulaga farmers’ problems, ranging from its planting pattern to its market access. For decades, residents were unaware of the economic potential of kapulaga. The spice has only been used as a cooking ingredient and a traditional herbal drug.

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Kapulaga is also a remedy for children who have a fever. Kapulaga leaves are cut, tied up and put into a bottle filled with water. The water in which the leaves are soaked in is smeared on the children’s bodies. Residents also often brew kapulaga leaves with hot water. Its vapor can relieve a feverish cold.

People in Central Java use kapulaga as herbal medicine. In Padang, West Sumatra, kapulaga is a necessity for rendang (spiced beef cooked in coconut milk). “How much is needed? Just count how many Padang restaurants you can find,” he remarked.

Kunkun has been inviting residents to cultivate kapulaga. He not only distributes kapulaga seedlings, he also assists farmers in forming groups in order to access government programs, such as those for the provision of seedlings and drying equipment.

In Pangandaran, kapulaga is developed in over 93 villages and 10 districts. Its centers are in the districts of Cigugur, Langkaplancar and Padaherang. This plant with rhizomes grows in forest areas behind houses.

Kapulaga promotes the economy because it belongs to export commodities.

Kapulaga can grow when it is in the shade. It only needs 30 percent of sunlight. The growth of kapulaga depends on the trees shading it. If the trees are felled, kapulaga dies. This spice plant is suitable for greening.

Realizing the various benefits of the spice, farmers have been following Kunkun’s lead. Now there are 6,872 kapulaga farmers’ households with an area of about 7,000 hectares. They are listed in the Agricultural Guidance Management Information System (Simluhtan).

Kapulaga promotes the economy because it belongs to export commodities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, dried kapulaga costed Rp 360,000 (US$24) per kilogram. Previously, the price was Rp 140,000 ($9.42) per kg. Farmers are scooping the profits.

Last year, kapulaga was worth Rp 340,000 ($23) per kg and its production reached 1,650 tonnes, with a transaction value fetching Rp 560 billion ($38 million). This amount was around a third of the Pangandaran regency administration’s income in 2020, totaling Rp 1.5 trillion ($101 million).

“While COVID-19 was rampant, a former employee of an estate company grew kapulaga and was able to afford to renovate his house, which was previously less habitable. He also bought a motorcycle. After working for others, he is now cultivating 1 hectare of kapulaga,” said Kunkun.

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

Kunkun Herawanto (48) drying cardamom in Cintakarya Village, Parigi District, Pangandaran Regency, West Java, Monday (8/8/2022). Kunkun, chairman of the Cardamom Farmers Association of Pangandaran Regency, West Java, has been glorifying cardamom for a dozen years.

Farmers also have no difficulty in accessing bank loans for the cultivation of kapulaga, which is called kapol in Sundanese. “When asked about their income, residents refer to kapol. Most likely they have secured loans because kapol sales are good,” he revealed.

It is not difficult to maintain either. Eight months after it is planted, kapulaga is ready for harvest. Farmers can harvest its fruit from its rhizome every

month and residents reap from morning to night. Women earn extra income from picking kapulaga seeds.

Pride

Kunkun’s love for the spice plant began in 2004. At the time, this activist had just returned from a demonstration in Jakarta. When he stopped in Bojong, Langkaplancar, he noticed white dried kapulaga.

“I was ashamed to ask about the plant. Finally, I gave Rp 10,000, the money that was left in my wallet,” said Kunkun. Then he learned how to raise kapulaga seedlings.

This son of a farmer did not only spread the news of kapulaga cultivation in Pangandaran, but also to other regions in West Java, such as Kuningan, Purwakarta, Garut and Sukabumi. He distributed 12,000 seedlings to transmigrants in Tanggamus, Lampung and Muara Enim, South Sumatra.

Some circles in Kalimantan were also interested in kapulaga cultivation in former mining areas. “I’m aspiring to make kapol a means of uniting the nation because it can grow in all regions,” he laughingly said.

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For Kunkun, the more kapulaga centers are opened, the greater the chance of Indonesia’s domination of the global market. History has proven that kapulaga is like a treasure trove. According to Kunkun, the development of the Banjar-Kalipucang-Parigi railway by the Dutch in 1913 was not for the transportation of passengers, but rather a way of carrying the agricultural produce of Pangandaran, such as kapulaga.

The junior high school graduate wants farmer empowerment. Through the association and farmers’ business enterprise, Kunkun contributes to the export of kapulaga. Although its quantity and supply sustainability are limited, he and other farmers keep striving to further develop the plant.

“In 2019, Chinese investors came seeking kapol for medicine. We were asked to deliver 7,000 tonnes of kapol annually, but could not meet it. This is what we should develop,” he said.

In his view, the cultivation of Pangandaran kapulaga still has a long way to go. Despite the encouragement from many circles to engage himself in politics, Kunkun wants to remain a farmer. “The keyword is not power, but dedication,” he added.

Kunkun Herawanto

Born:Ciamis, 4 April 1974

Education:

- State Elementary School 2 Karang Kamiri, Langkaplancar

- State Junior High School Karang Kamiri, Langkaplancar

Wife: Vira Vania

Children: Four

Profession: Chairman, Kapulaga Farmers Association of Pangandaran

This article was translated by Aris Prawira.