Bali News

Jungutbatu village on Nusa Penida island can be considered as a wealthy village as result from development of tourism industry and seaweed cultivation in the area. Currently only one out of 753 inhabiting households is holding poor household (RTM) status. Unfortunately, along with the growth, the village lost its original unique profession, salt farming.

In the past, most of villagers living in the four banjars (Balinese traditional village cluster) of Jungutbatu were salt farmers. As tourism access started to enter the village as well as seaweed cultivation back in 1982, slowly but surely they left salt farming behind for seaweed cultivation and tourism. They chose seaweed cultivation over salt farming as it offers more lucrative income. Now there are only three households are still operating their salt farming. “And it is only as their secondary activity”, said the village head of Jungutbatu, Wayan Yastika.

Ironically, as number local villagers are producing salt has significantly decreased, local salt product is significantly more expensive. Local salt of Jungutbatu is no longer the leader in its own home. Even local villagers like local salt better, they prefer to buy salt from the market for much cheaper price. “Salt production here uses wooden fire which is quite expensive, and immedately affect its production cost”, Yastika added.

Meanwhile villagers are currently enjoying lucrative yields of seaweed crops after previous bad one as a result of bad weather. “Good yieds and good quality as well”, said a local villager Suadnya. However he admitted that price is not quite satisfactory. Few months back we can sell at Rp. 15,000 per kilogram, now the price ranges between Rp. 2,000 and Rp. 4,000″, he added. However he does not sure if good yield will remain as it is very dependant to weather. “Weather is not quite stable yet”, he said.