Bali News

Bali has to take a momentum to salvage farming land in heating threat of global climate change and continuously squeezed down living of Bali farmers. A critical effort to be taken immediately is revitalization of irrigation system to prevent disposed farming land due to crisis of water supply.

Two academicians from Udayana University Prof. Made Merta and Prof. Gede Putu Wirawan responded a question about solution to restrengthening Bali farming. “Bali should not got trapped in discussion to respond farming problems. Press, academicians, and the government has to start utilizing strategies and approaches to keep farming culture”, Prof. Merta said.

He further explained that importance of irrigation revitalization was concluded through survey conducted covering tens thousand hectares of farming land in Bali abandoned by the farmer for shortage of water supply. Irregular network of technical irrigation of rice field was caused by failure in land allocation management. “Developers mutilated irrigation paths when they started to build housing estates, resulting in blockages and ponds during rainy season”, he added.

Prof. Wirawan reminded that without proper irrigation network, it will be difficult to sustain farming in Bali. Truncated irrigation network stops water flow from down to the rice field. “Farmers’ complain about shortage of water supply has to be considered a serious problem in Bali. Bali has to start making itself in developing this certain sector, because without farming, everything will become history”, he said.

Prof. Wirawan further said that there are many result of researches conducted by academicians from Udayana University which have not been implemented. Research documentations went directly into the library. A better synergy in implementing field research is needed as there are many researches conducted to study Bali farming.

Both Prof. Merta and Prof. Wirawan reminded that farming sector should never be swept aside for economic reasons. Farming is an essential sector in developing economic strength. Farming has made multiple economical effects during the last three decades. “To Bali, marginalization of farming for the sake of tourism has to be immediately neutralized by developing commitment to protect and to make farming as one of the pillar for economic strength”, Prof. Merta said.

Prof. Wirawan exposed that at the moment Udayana University has many experts whose studies received international appreciation. “I am hoping a momentum initiated to modulate the spirit of Bali farming”, he said.