"We will help by socialization of industry to produce coconut derivatives such as by producing coconut meal that farmers would not depend only on copra market," Chief Representative of Bank Indonesia in North Maluku Dwi Waluyanto said here on Saturday di Ternate, Sabtu.
The price of copra, which is the main commodity,and the economic life blood for the majority people in North Maluku has dropped sharply lately .
The local people, mostly farmers, took to the street on Monday demanding the government to seriously address the problem.
Dwi said it is time for the farmers to think of other way to keep coconut having a reasonable selling price.
He said based on a study, Bank Indonesia already began dissemination of development of downstream coconut industry over the past 18 months.
The Central Bank already thought over utilizing and processing copra to produce derivatives even before the copra price plunged, he said.
"The copra price fall is the right time to convince the farmers of the importance of developing downstream coconut industry. Previously when the price of copra was normal, the farmers would not be interested even in hearing the suggestion," he said.
He said there should be short term , mid term and long term solution to the problem faced by the farmers.
The regional administration has to find a short term solution and long term solution has to be discussed with the public, he said.
He asked all concerned especially regional administration to seriously address the problem and consider the program to develop downstream coconut industry.
The district administration of Halmahera Utara, North Maluku had pledged to raise the copra price, after violent protest by local people demanding the government to do anything to prop up copra market.
Secretary of the North Maluku regional administration Fredy Tjandua through its news release received on Wednesday said the regional administration is seeking a short term solution to the problem.
"We are seeking a short term solution to the problem over the price fall which had caused great concern for the local people," Fredy has said .
He said the regional administration would not stay doing nothing about the problem .
"First we would work hard to find a short term solution to be followed later with long term solution," he said.
Students joined the people in the demonstration on Monday that turned violent forcing police to use tear gas to disperse the protesters.
Reporter: ANTARA
Editor: Bustanuddin
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
