POSO, CENTRAL SULAWESI (VOA) —
Pepper farmers in Ranteangin and Loeha Villages, Towuti District, East Luwu Regency, South Sulawesi are urging the government to review the PT VALE Indonesia company concession, especially in the Tanamalia Block. They also asked the government to remove the block from the nickel mining company’s concession.
The Tanamalia Block is a community pepper plantation area, and is still included in the rainforest area which is supported by various kinds of flora and fauna and has high environmental value and services.
“Now, with the presence of PT VALE in expanding the mining area and exploration activities that have been underway for more than a year, Loeha Raya farmer friends feel threatened. “They feel threatened by how sustainable this pepper will be for future generations,” said Yahya Muchtar, a pepper farmer from Ranteangin village in an online press conference on the WALHI South Sulawesi YouTube Channel, Friday (6/10) last week. .
Yahya Muchtar, pepper farmer from Ranteangin village, East Luwu Regency, in an online press conference on the WALHI South Sulawesi YouTube Channel, 6 October 2023. (Photo: WALHI South Sulawesi YouTube)
The reason, he continued, is that pepper farming will be difficult to carry out if mining activities in the surrounding areas continue.
According to Yahya, there are 4,239 hectares of pepper plantations that are at risk of being evicted for nickel mining expansion, even though these pepper plantations are their main source of livelihood.
Another pepper farmer, Ali Kamri Nawir, said that pepper plantations are the main source of livelihood for thousands of families in Tanamalia. One hectare can be planted with a thousand plants which can produce 2.5 to 3 tons per year. During the harvest period there will be many jobs available, from picking to transportation.
“So the total annual workforce intake is approximately 35,000 to 40,000 workers for the five villages with an average daily salary of IDR 100,000,” said Ali Kamri.
White pepper at the 18th century international spice trade exhibition, at the Aceh Museum in Banda Aceh on March 16, 2022. (Photo: CHAIDEER MAHYUDDIN/AFP)
Pepper cultivation has been carried out for generations, so it would be very unfair for the community to lose their livelihood due to nickel mining.
“When the government, in this case, the relevant agencies, do not heed our requests, and they prefer investment to their own people, that means we are digging graves for the people of Loeha Raya there, because we will never back down from cultivating pepper in Tanamalia. “said Ali Kamri.
Mrs. Fatmawati from Rante Angin Village expressed her concern about the impact of environmental damage that could occur due to mining activities. Clearing land for mining will destroy forests which threatens the sustainability of mountain springs which local residents rely on to get clean water suitable for consumption. Fatmawati said people no longer use the polluted Towuti Lake water.
“Meanwhile, our lake is actually polluted by waste, PT Vale’s waste is no longer suitable for consumption, so what we use to live there is water from the mountains. So, if at that time it is also polluted, where else will we look for a water source?” said Fatmawati.
Vale nickel mining location in Sorowako, South Sulawesi, March 29 2023. (Photo: REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana)
Farmers’ Claims
Executive Director of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI) South Sulawesi, Muhammad Al Amin, said that as many as 3,200 pepper farming families want 4,239 hectares of pepper plantation land and 17 thousand hectares of forest area to be released from the mining company’s concession area. Since 1968, PT Vale Indonesia Tbk has obtained a concession covering an area of 17,776.78 hectares in the Tanamalia area. or 15 percent of all PT Vale Indonesia concessions in three provinces covering Central Sulawesi, South Sulawesi and Southeast Sulawesi.
“They only asked that this land, this pepper plantation and the surrounding forest be released from the VALE concession. “15 percent of 118,000 hectares is incomparable,” said Al Amin.
Meanwhile, in the environmental context, according to Amin, in the Tanamalia Block there are 25 thousand hectares of forest area, 17 thousand hectares of which are mining concession areas. As a result, if these forests are cleared for nickel mining activities, it will have a serious impact on the loss of water sources and flora and fauna habitats.
“Tanamalia is a pathway for Sulawesi’s endemic flora such as anoa and endemic birds, hornbills and so on. The rate of forest destruction, deforestation will continue to increase. And the rivers, the 15 large rivers that flow into Lake Towuti, we suspect will be exposed to heavy metals or exposed to pollution. “Well, this is also dangerous for the lives of the surrounding community,” explained Al Amin.
PT VALE Indonesia did not respond to a request for response sent via e-mail on Monday (9/10) regarding the pressure from farmers and WALHI South Sulawesi. (y/ah)