ABSTRACT
Gaharu has been traded in East Kalimantan before the Hindu KingdomKutai period. However, the nineteen eighties to nineties was perhaps theglory period for gaharu trade in East Kalimantan. There are only little detailinformation regarding gaharu in East Kalimantan. The information on gaharutrade can only be extracted through anthropological studies on indigenouscommunity conducted by foreigner. Therefore, this study was undertaken togain more information on gaharu trade in East Kalimantan that includedharvest and chain of custody. For the purposes, 1 exporter, 3 middlemen and4 hunters in East Kalimantan were interviewed during the study.Hunter, middlemen, collector and exporter are identified as the 4 actorsthat played in the gaharu trade in East Kalimantan. The gaharu trade is openand does not bind the actors involved. Gaharu has been traded using landtransportation, although in some area sea transportation seems morepractical. Up until now, Samarinda is the center of gaharu trade in EastKalimantan where all big investors are located. Gaharu has been tradedlegally to Jakarta, Singapore and the Middle East. In addition, gaharu been traded to Banjarmasin. However, Gaharu has often been smuggled toMalaysia.In the past five years gaharu production increased significantly alongwith the increasing number of gaharu traders in East Kalimantan. Gaharuharvest is dominantly found in the center of East Kalimantan. Mahakamupstream that covers Kutai Kertanegara and West Kutai is identified as themost targeted location for gaharu hunt in East Kalimantan. The lowest qualitygaharu now dominates the gaharu market in East Kalimantan. It triggered thegaharu oil invention in East Kalimantan |
