Bali administration develops 40 integrated farming sites

Wednesday, February 10, 2010 4:36 PM

Bali administration develops 40 integrated farming sites
Wasti Atmodjo , The Jakarta Post , Denpasar | Wed, 02/10/2010 1:56 PM | Bali

Bali provincial administration is currently developing 40 integrated farming locations with Rp 8 billion *US$860,125* in funds from the provincial 2010 budget.

Made Putra Suryawan, head of Bali Agriculture office, said such integrated farming development was a breakthrough that would accelerate the integration of new farming technology with traditional farming systems.

The new technology would allow farmers to combine their planting systems, growing major food commodities like rice, corn and soy within one specific location.

"Farmers can grow various types of productive food commodities and raising poultry or cattle would increase farmers' revenues."

Farmers would also have easier access to micro-finance institution and marketing of their products.

The technology re-introduces farmers to the organic farming system, long forgotten by the locals.

In the early 1970s Indonesian New Order government introduced a green revolution, forcing farmers across the country to use chemical fertilizers to boost their harvests.

This revolution caused farmers and the countries significant losses.

Environmental problems were just one of the bad effects of the chemical-based farming system.

Economically, farmers were too dependent on fertilizers, pesticides and other chemical products.

I. B. Wisnu Ardhana, the Bali agriculture head of research and development, said that by adopting an integrated organic farming system, farmers would gain a lot of benefits.

They could raise cattle, poultry and fishponds and use their waste as organic fertilizer, biogas and bio pesticides.

Organic system would also heal polluted farming soils.

To implement the integrated farming system, the administration has established a team whose members came from related agencies such as the agriculture and forestry office, the trade and industry office, and public works office.

In addition to the Rp 8 billion fund from provincial budget, every regency would have to allocate supporting funds from their own regional budgets.

The choices of the 40 locations were the ones that have the best commodities and areas, which still have serious poverty problems.

The 40 sites included 12 villages in Buleleng regency (North Bali), nine in Karangasem (East Bali), six in Bangli, four in Tabanan, three in Klungkung.