GAYO LUES – Citronella (Cymbopogon nardus) is a herb that has many benefits. Citronella is known to the public as an upright grass plant with a height of 50-100 cm with light green leaves, and a plant stem that is not woody. Lemongrass plants are divided into two groups, namely lemon grass or lemongrass spice (Cymbopogon citratus) and fragrant lemongrass or citronellal lemongrass (Cymbopogon nardus). Fragrant lemongrass in Indonesia is divided into two types, namely the mahapengiri and lenabatu types. The mahapengiri type will produce essential oils with a higher yield and content of citronellal and geraniol than the lenabatu type. Fragrant lemongrass plants have properties for anti-inflammatory, anti-mosquito, and blood circulation.
The need for essential oils is growing along with the high demand from the perfume, medicine and cosmetic industries. Essential oil from citronella is widely used in the chemical industry due to its high content of citronellal and geraniol compounds where the essential oil from citronella is a raw material in the manufacture of anti-mosquito gels, vegetable pesticides, soaps, lotions, disinfectants, shiny materials. Citronellal compounds in citronella essential oil have bactericidal properties against several species of bacteria. Citronellal compounds are terpene compounds consisting of a mixture of bioactive isomers of nerol and geraniol. Citronellal compounds in citronella essential oil are known to have toxic and dehydrating properties against animals, especially insects.
From the National Non-Superior Plantation Statistics Data in 2022 the area of Citronella plantation is 20,852 Ha, this plantation area comes from community-owned plantations located in Gayo Lues Regency. Of the planted area belonging to the community plantation that can be harvested for further use as citronella oil is 19,462 hectares. From this data, the production of citronella oil produced from community plantations reaches 3,585 tons/year. The productivity of this Lemongrass plantation is 184 Kg/Ha.
Based on this data, the number of smallholder plantations in Gayo Lues Regency is 20.266 households, and in April 2023 PT PEMA was assigned by the Acting Governor of Aceh to solve the problems that occurred in Gayo Lues District regarding the unstable price of citronella oil which had an impact on the production of citronella oil in Gayo Lues, this was also exacerbated by the decline in the economy of the people of Gayo Lues district when facing Eid al-Fitr 1444 H, so that PT PEMA as an Aceh-Owned Enterprise (BUMA) felt that the problem in Gayo Lues District was an urgent matter to be resolved. At that time, the market price of citronella oil in Gayo Lues District was IDR 130,000/kg,
PT PEMA as BUMA responded to the price instability by taking over the marketing of citronella oil, PT PEMA’s move at that time would buy the entire supply of citronella oil in Gayo Lues Regency, PT PEMA’s seriousness to provide price guarantees to farmers and collectors in Gayo Lues Regency was marked by sending a citronella oil offer letter to the Gayo Lues Regency government. As of May 2023, the price of citronella oil in Gayo Lues has reached Rp.145,000 – Rp.155,000 per kg.
