Areca Catechu: Best Product, Bad Price

Let' us talk about pineung (areca catechu). It is surely used for consumption and medicines, of what we call best product. But, however, the price has never been stable and always turns down, then we say bad price. The word pineung is Acehnese, Western call it betel nut. It is a kind of palm that grows in the Pacific, East Asia and Africa region. Various regional names include pining (Batak Toba) – both traditional community consume pineung combining with ranub (betel leaf, similar to the leaf of pepper) , and adding some other various ingredients to make fresher and stronger. This seed is known as one of a mixture of betel nut, besides gambier and lime. English known as betel palm or betel nut tree, and its scientific name is areca catechu. What they eat is not the leaf, but the fruit of betel palm.

While tracing the area of betel nut plantation in Aceh, the exact existence of pineung trees are in the northern area including the District Pidie, Bireuen, North Aceh, Lhokseumawe City, East Aceh and Tamiang regency. There are also several plantation are in the Greater Aceh. Moreover, the plantation has already existed thousand years ago.

Based on the results of pineung quality test, pineung origin of North Aceh district has the best quality compared to other areas both in terms of sap or fruit. Because of its good quality, it is no wonder the betel nut from North Aceh district has become the most hunted commodity by the muge pineung (betel nut merchants) for export commodity.

But unfortunately, the betel nuts are still widely planted and, surely cultivated traditionally or conventionally. If farmers are willing to intentionally plant pineung, it is certain that the income would be much higher than the cultivation of palm and other commodities.

Analysis of Pineung Enterprises

For those who want planting the betel nut., here is the business prospective analysis that pineung cultivated intensively within good maintenance and best care, ie from the stage of nursery, treatment to the handling of the areca nut. Let us do some calculations. Suppose, in one pineung tree could produce about 20 kg of seeds per month. If the planting is in one hectare. the number of pineung tree range from 450 to 500 trees, then the average production of betel per hectare is about 400 kg of dried betel nut.

If the selling price of pineung as of August 30, 2014 (as when Habibie President era) reached up to the level of Rp.20.000 per kilogram, then suppose if one hectare of betel nut plantation, a farmer could reach the income of Rp8.000.000,00 per month. Prospective job, if the price could be always stable, but now what we could do for the real price of this export commodity is really watching, sometimes go up and then drop down.