By: Choirul Fuadi)*
CIDISS – Herbal medicine becomes one alternative and citizen interest for the treatment. Herbal medicine sometime uses the certain leaves. In Central Kalimantan, citizens make use of spare time to searching, collecting and selling the herbal leaves.
For example, Sapat leave, it becomes livelihood alternatives for the citizens of Barito, especially in Java, Tanjung Jawa Village, Asam, Kalahien and Pararapak Village, Dusun Selatan (Dusel) district, Barito Selatan (Barsel) Regency, Central Kalimantan province. It is because the economic value of the leaves.
The Sapat leave is found in the forests of the region, produced by the company’s herbal medicine, as herbal medicine and for beauty. The Price is also promised, in the form of dried leaves, the price is IDR 16.000 per kilogram.
According to one of the citizens, the leaves only require a brave to climb the Sapat tree, and want to collect leaves from every branch, and then dried. When the leave dried, then it is ready for sale.
Besides Barito Selatan, Citizen of Kasongan, katingan Regency, also search and collect herbal medicine, namely Puri Leaves. According to interviews of citizens, leaves of herbal medicine can cure a variety of ills.
Puri leaves is found in forests around the town of Kasongan. One kilogram of wet puri leaves has price of IDR 2.000. Whereas, when the leave already dried, it might be sold for price IDR 13 thousand per kilogram.
Earnings from search and collect this herbal leaves, residents admit, it give impact especially to raise a family.