Indonesia: Nutmeg gives Banda Islands a lingering scent of profit

I received a recommendation from the Ministry of Agriculture to become a distributor of nutmeg seeds throughout Indonesia Nutmeg, or Myristica fragrans Houtt, appears to thrive on almost all inhabited islands of Banda. The spice has held a prime place since the start of the global spice trade hundreds of years ago. Of the 11 islands in Banda, the ones that are inhabited include Gunungapi, Banda Besar (Lontar), Banda Neira, Hatta, Ay, Rhun, and Syahrir. In the past, the islands housed nutmeg plantations controlled by the Dutch. These included 31 plantations on Pulau Ay, 34 plantations in Banda Besar, and three plantations in Banda Neira. With the collapse of the Dutch in 1942, the control of the nutmeg plantations fell into the hands of the Japanese who cut down most nutmeg plants and replaced them with cassava. The Japanese occupation of three years inflicted severe damage to the nutmeg plantations of Banda Islands as the new colonialists were not interested in the spice. After ...