Photo: wahid hasyim asyari / iStock
Plans are underway to build a plant in the Indonesian province of West Sumatra to process the branches and leaves of the gambier shrub (Uncaria gambir). This was announced by Indonesia’s Minister of Agriculture, Andi Amran Sulaiman, according to ANTARA.
According to the Governor of West Sumatra, Mahyeldi Ansharullah, the plant is most likely to be built in the regency of Limapuluh Kota, which is the leading producer of gambier. Indonesia accounts for 80–90 per cent of global exports of the product, and demand for it has been growing in recent years. As the governor noted, West Sumatra consistently supplies gambier to South Asia, particularly to India.
It is anticipated that the establishment of a processing plant at the raw material production site will improve the economic situation of local farmers and the region as a whole and open up new opportunities. Gambier, used in the chemical industry and medicine, has been an important export commodity for several centuries: as a tanning agent, it is used in the leather industry; as an antioxidant and antibacterial agent, in the manufacture of medicines and hygiene products; and also as a natural dye.
Andalas University (UNAND) in West Sumatra is conducting research into the properties of gambir. Staff at the university’s research centre have developed several products based on this plant material. In particular, they have produced an anti-dandruff shampoo and ink from gambier. The university currently holds 65 patents related to gambier, which demonstrates its vast potential for the production of value-added goods.