Maksum Nur Fauzan

Home to the world-famous Borobudur temple, Magelang in Central Java is also home to a village that is known for producing tobacco.
Most Tuksongo village residents are farmers or laborers of the region’s tobacco industry, which enjoyed a golden era in 1973.

The process of tobacco farming begins with cultivating tobacco plants, cutting the leaves, drying them under the sun and then placing them in packages to be sent to buyers or factories in areas like Muntilan and Bojonegoro.

This year's harvest is said to be a good one. However, the price of tobacco has decreased to Rp 25,000 (US$1.78) per kilogram, causing significant losses among farmers. But they are hopeful that tobacco prices will soon increase as they still needed to pay their laborers and rent for the fields they use to dry the tobacco. (kes)