Tree Seed Procurement–Diffusion Pathways in Wonogiri and Ponorogo, Java

Abstract

Forty-two percent of the land area in the neighbouring districts (kapubatens) of Wonogiri, Central Java and Ponorogo in East Java is covered with secondary forests of naturalized exotic tree species that are common components of governmental land rehabilitation programs. The seed suppliers operating in the Wonogiri–Ponorogo area represent only 9% of the suppliers in Indonesia yet they account for 80–90% of the national tree seed supply capacity. Wonogiri–Ponorogo suppliers procure and sell 1,510 tons of seed annually. About 24% of this (362 tons) is exchanged between suppliers, 1,148 tons are sold to customers across Indonesia, and less than 1 ton is exported. About 72% of the seed sold (826 tons) is collected in the Wonogiri–Ponorogo area, the remainder originating in Sumatra, Madura and Nusa Tenggara. In Wonogiri–Ponorogo, tree seeds are collected by farmers on contract with seed assemblers or seed companies. Assemblers link farmer collectors with seed companies and middlemen, who sell seed to customers. Government agencies purchase 75% of the seed. Cover crop species, Gmelina arborea, Tectona grandis and Leucaena leucocephala account for the 85% of the total seed sold. The sheer volume of seed collected in Wonogiri–Ponorogo assures that it comes from a large number of unrelated trees over widely dispersed locations. However, research results indicate individual farmers collect seed from a limited number of adjacent trees. Experience indicates simple seed collection guidelines help farmers improve their seed collection practices and the genetic quality of seed collected. A commitment to seed quality by all agents involved in the seed trade and customers is required to make such guidelines functional and acceptable. Seed procurement and diffusion generate significant income for all seed agents. As the dominant agents who facilitate most of the activities and inputs required to move seed through the pathway from forests to customers, seed companies receive the most financial benefits. Farmer seed collectors are the most numerous agents in the seed pathway, with an estimated 22,500 farmers involved in seed collection activities annually. Farmer families living near seed companies earn additional income by processing seed.