09 March 2009

Hutan Rakyat Sengon: Small-Scale Tree Farming in Central Java Indonesia

Hutan rakyat or people’s forest are forests managed by the owner, other person, or corporation. Ministry of Forestry considers areas as hutan rakyat if farm size is at least 0.25 hectares and crown density is more than 50%, or the tree density of the first year is more than 500 trees. Tree species grown are sengon (Paraserianthes falcataria), mahogany (Sweitenia spp), sungkai (Peronema canescens), lamtoro gung (Leucaena glauca), akasia (Acacia auricoliformis), Sonokeling (Dalbergia latifolia), Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus deglupta) and teak (Tectona grandis). In Central Java Province, hutan rakyat areas are mainly planted with sengon (Paraserianthes falcataria) and mahogany (Swietenia spp).
According to The Forestry Office of Central Java Government, there are 3 (three) models Hutan Rakyat that develop based on the financing:
Hutan Rakyat Subsidy model
Hutan Rakyat that built on ownership land with a portion of cost or entirely from Government, generally developed at upper course of a river system zone (forest and land rehabilitation , reforestation presidential instruction, and forest and land rehabilitation national movement);
Hutan Rakyat Self Help model
Hutan Rakyat that built by people from planning, operating and financing by themselves. Generally Hutan Rakyat built by farmers that whose sufficient land, and the species that endeavored having an orientation to the market.
Hutan Rakyat Partnership model
Hutan Rakyat that built by farmer or farmers group that work together with forestry industries which facilitated by Province Government or District Government. The government give loans in roll over aid Hutan Rakyat Partnership model business enterprise on wood industries and farmers to build hutan rakyat which the result distributed suitable the agreement of both side.
With partnership model, the benefits that gained are:
a. The Farmers:
- The increase of income and welfare
- Get monetary capital aid trough a loan from the government
- Get technology guidance from business enterprise partner and government
b. The Business Enterprise Partner:
- Have wood raw materials stock
- Get monetary capital aid trough a loan from the government
c. The Government
The Government program to build suistanable forest plantations can realized.

Still according to The Forestry Office of Central Java Government, there are 3 (three) patterns Hutan Rakyat that develop based on the species:
The pattern of Hutan Rakyat dominated by one species ( Tectona grandis, Paraserianthes falcataria, Sweitenia spp);
The mixture pattern of Hutan Rakyat dominated by two species or more ( Tectona grandis and Sweitenia spp or Tectona grandis, Paraserianthes falcataria and Sweitenia spp);
The pattern of Hutan Rakyat in agroforestry system that Javanese farmers intercrop these trees with annuals and perennials for daily culinary use or for selling. Farmers who have introduced sengon (Paraserianthes falcataria) as a fast-growing timber/pulp species by mixed-planting with their agricultural crops. Javanese farmers most interested in agroforestry system because it can produce daily, weekly, monthly, and anually crops.
The cutting pressure on natural forests in Indonesia must now be reduced, it is vital that the forest industries adjust accordingly and shift their resource base from natural forests to plantations. Wood products from hutan rakyat areas supply primary forestry industries such as sawmills, plywood, blockboard, chopsticks, matches, chipmills, and pencil slats.
Now Hutan Rakyat in Indonesia able to produce on average 6 milions meter cubic per year. The price of Sengon (Paraserianthes falcataria) wood in Central Java now being approximate Rp 800.000-Rp 900.000 per meter cubic and liable to resist because the demand from forest industries still stable. The Sengon (Paraserianthes falcataria)-based industries possess a suite of promising characteristics in the context of current trends in the world wood trade on the grounds that they support a high value-added market for environmentally friendly products. The use of forest certification in marketing more important now. Hutan Rakyat advisable to be audited by independent organizations to obtain environmental friendly certification. And there is a need for local markets in Indonesia to be nurtured in order that Sengon (Paraserianthes falcataria) products can be successfully advanced onto the international market.

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