Day 8 - How do see them?

They are ripe and supprisingly the "meat" remain firm. Some white fungus appear on the skin of one of them and other appear at the end of bananas next to bunch (?).

We may no longer need to wait before seeing them more ripened. We will cut them and see the 'meat' inside. We'll show you how each day the meat "transform" into until the last day we could no longer eat or cook them.

Full Yellow and Ready to Cook or Eat?

Day 7: Few remaining green

Indeed, today is the seventh day after the bagja bananas were cut down from the tree. Yet even though many have yellowed, two remain still clearly green, they are all hard if you you press each of their hands. Of course those yellow are slightly softer than the green. They just fell them easily.

You still see them the same fresh after one week.

Interesting.

Even more yellow

Look how they have transformed ..

Little bit yellowish

On 24 February 2008 we also take this picture. See how few of them become slightly yellow.

Makro in Jakarta puts more pressures on farmers

Wholesaler Makro in Jakarta that has already several big outlets now prefers their suppliers to provide products in smaller amount but in a more frequent sending, as compared to what we were asked about two years ago.

This is indeed not really good news for us, marginalized farmers in Indonesia. It seems to reflect worse economic condition of the country.

We actually would like to prepare for delivering about four tons of tanduk bananas each month to Makro, as an initial program of our banana production. We had earlier designed to support such program. We assumed that with stronger focus on certain agricultural products, we build better our strength. Farmers would then have better confidence.

They would have slightly better price. In fact now in the villages they sell between Rp1,000 to Rp1,500 per piece of bananas regardless their measures. You may expect to find these bananas much priced at Makro in Jakarta, 250 kilometer away from the production village, that may cost you even higher than they have at present, i.e. Rp3,500 or even more.

Indeed this banana is bigger. Poor farmers may expect to be paid more, presumably, for their harder works.

However, the marketing policy change at Makro would force us now to think twice or more. We will have to substitute the rest. We would not like to have our truck being loaded less. We would have to find other products. But what? Not clear delivery scheme yet.

Anyone may help?

Seems no change on 22 February 2008

Tanduk bananas on 21 February 2008

We would like to see the "development" of the tanduk bananas until they are rotten and can no longer be eaten. How many days can they keep in store? How are the conditions each days until the "end"?

Kunkun, a farmer from Cikupa village in southern Ciamis show you the bananas he took from his village. He brought them along from Ciamis, about 250 kilometers away to Jakarta.