Betel nut seller – Jubi
Timika, Jubi – The haze that blankets the city of Timika has disrupted flights and triggered a rise in betel nut prices.
Betel nut proces have risen to 200,000 per kilogram, a more than 100 percent increase from 75,000 per kg previously.
“It’s been four days the sale was decreased. No supplies from Jayapura today, while the price of local betel nut is slightly rising,” said Udin who sell the betel nut at the location of old Swadaya Market on Monday (19/10/2015).
He said the haze blankets Timika for last few days has stopped the flight from and to Timika and cause the lack of betel nut supplies of both sellers and distributors at the ex-Swadaya Market.
“The stocks of local betel nut is still enough but the price is higher than Jayapura’s,” he said.
The local betel nut is sold for 20 thousand rupiahs per stack.
Since the haze covered the city, the betel nut selling activity is reduced. The tables are usually used to put the betel nut are clean, because the traders are temporary not closed. A resident of ex-Swadaya Market, Karel Kogoya, said the haze has caused him difficult to find the betel nut.
“I have a habit of chewing the betel nut. Although the price of the local betel nut is higher, I still buy it. No Jayapura’s betel nut,” he said.
Based on the information on the ground, earlier the betel nut was sold for five to ten thousand rupiahs per stack (five to ten fruits), but now its price becomes two to thirty thousand rupiahs per stack. (Eveerth Joumilena/rom)
