China Makes a Step forward towards a RMB Currency Area

By
MURASE Tetsuji
Professor of Ryukoku University

In December 2008, the Standing Committee of the State Council of the People's Republic of China decided to allow its currency, Renminbi (RMB), to be used in international transactions with some of its trade partners; it will be allowed, as a part of a pilot project, to be used to settle trade payments between a) Hong Kong and Macao, and the Pearl and Yangtze river delta regions including Shanghai as well as Guangdong province, and b) ASEAN member countries and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region as well as Yunnan province. Actually, the RMB had already been used as settlement currency in China's authorized border trade with Mongolia, North Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, etc. But with the above decision, the State Council aims for a full-fledged pilot project that involves major trading areas. Thus, this marks a first step on the road to making the RMB an international currency.

In order to settle trade payments in the RMB, foreign banks that finance exporters and importers must keep RMB accounts and be authorized to buy, sell and hold the RMB required for the settlement. Foreign (non-resident) banks should be able to open RMB accounts and to undertake spot and forward exchange dealings in the Shanghai market. To begin with, the Bank of China's Hong Kong subsidiary and Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) in Hong Kong are reported to have been authorized to open such accounts respectively with the Bank of China and Bank of Communications in Shanghai. Hong Kong has started on the path to become the RMB offshore center. In order for the RMB to prevail in future intra-regional trade in East Asia, not only banks but also non-resident traders must be allowed to open RMB accounts (either in China or off-shore). However, as wider possession of RMB among non-residents should risk speculative selling of RMB, Chinese monetary authorities would take cautious stance on lifting the ban on the access to RMB accounts by non-residents in general. In fact, Yi Gang, Vice Governor of the People's Bank of China, said at the National People's Congress in March 2009 that there is no need to rush for the internationalization of the RMB (Nihon Keizai Shimbun, March 10, 2009).

Chinese academic circles seem to be divided into two groups over the necessity of a regional monetary regime in East Asia, namely "the cooperation school" and "the non-cooperation school." The former argues, from a standpoint of regional common interests, that the RMB should be pegged to a common currency basket and be "Asianized" by stabilizing effective exchange rate, while the latter argues that it is not important or even damaging to Chinese national interests to promote monetary cooperation in East Asia, because China is gaining a competitive edge in the region, which will lead to an "RMB currency area" eventually. Both groups agree that RMB, against the backdrop of rapid economic growth of China, will in the long run become one of the key currencies in Asia.

The year 2009 is likely to be recorded as the one in which China marked the first important step towards a "RMB currency area." It remains to be seen exactly what will become of it, but it is at least certain that RMB has now started to go international, though only to a limited extent. Japanese leaders must seriously discuss what the currency regime in the region should be and how Japanese Yen and RMB should be positioned in Asia. We have no time to lose.

Source: The Council on East Asian Community (CEAC) E-Letter (May 2009, Vol. 2, No. 4)

Pemuda Petani Indonesia Tembus Jepang: Siap Menjadi Pemimpin Pertanian Masa Depan

Oleh
*Muhamad Nasrul Pradana

Pada hari Kamis (4/23), bertempat di National Olympics Memorial Youth Center (NYC), Shibuya Ward, Tokyo telah diadakan upacara penerimaan trainee yang berasal dari Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia dan Filipina untuk mengikuti pelatihan kepemimpian di Jepang selama satu hingga tiga tahun ke depan. Program pelatihan ini terselenggara atas dukungan dari Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) sebagai bentuk realisasi atas bantuan dana yang diberikan Jepang untuk pembangunan sosial ekonomi di Indonesia yang berupa “Bantuan Pembangunan Pemerintah (Official Development Assistance, ODA)”. Adapun pelaksana program utama pelatihan ini adalah Japan Agricultural Exchange Council (JAEC), disamping JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) yang telah lama memberikan bantuan dalam proyek kerjasama teknik untuk pengembangan Sumber Daya Manusia di berbagai negara berkembang termasuk Indonesia.

Para peserta trainee yang datang ke Jepang ini, sebelumnya telah mengikuti proses seleksi yang sangat ketat di negara mereka masing-masing selama kurang lebih satu tahun. Untuk trainee Indonesia dikoordinir oleh Badan Pengembangan Sumber Daya Manusia, Departemen Pertanian, RI. Kemudian, mereka juga telah belajar bahasa Jepang selama kurang lebih 1 (satu) sampai 2 (dua) bulan sebelum berangkat ke Jepang agar dapat berkomunikasi dalam kehidupan sehari-hari. Setelah mereka datang ke Jepang, mereka langsung diberikan pembekalan ilmu-ilmu dasar pertanian di Jepang yang sangat berguna selama kegiatan pelatihan berlangsung.

Mereka juga diikutsertakan kembali dalam pembelajaran khusus bahasa Jepang dengan para guru dan pelatih yang siap membantu mereka sebelum ditempatkan di berbagai daerah, antara lain: Prefektur Chiba, Aichi, Wakayama, Nara, Nagano, Niigata, Kumamoto, Gifu, Miyagi dan lain sebagainya . Namun karena singkatnya waktu belajar, hanya sekitar tiga minggu, mereka masih memiliki banyak kendala dalam berkomunikasi dengan orang Jepang. Disinilah, para trainee perlu berusaha keras untuk selalu belajar dan menggunakan bahasa Jepang dalam kehidupan sehari-hari sambil bekerja di lapangan nantinya, ungkap salah seorang staf JAEC, Mr. Sakamoto. Tidak ada jalan lain selain belajar keras untuk dapat menerima segala ilmu yang akan diajarkan oleh para induk semang (petani) selama di Jepang.

Peserta trainee ini sengaja dikirimkan dari Indonesia ke Jepang untuk menuntut ilmu pertanian, terutama mengenai teknik bercocok tanam, teknologi pertanian, manajemen pertanian sampai dengan pemasaran produk di sentra-sentra penjualan. Atase Pertanian, Kedutaan Besar Republik Indonesia (KBRI) di Tokyo – Jepang, Bapak Pudjiatmoko, PhD melalui sambutan tertulis karena berhalangan hadir pada upacara pembukaan ini, menyampaikan bahwa tidak hanya ilmu bertani saja yang akan mereka pelajari, namun budaya kerja keras, disiplin dan kerjasama yang kuat perlu juga dipelajari untuk kemudian diterapkan dalam membangun pertanian negara Indonesia. Hasil pelatihan yang didapat oleh para peserta trainee diharapkan dapat berguna dalam melakukan perubahan untuk menjadi lebih baik “change for the better (kaizen)” dan membangun pertanian di daerah masing-masing setelah kembali ke Indonesia serta menjadi bekal dimasa depan untuk menjadi petani yang tangguh dan teladan.

Diharapkan melalui program pelatihan kepemimpinan petani ini, hubungan persahabatan Indonesia – Jepang dapat semakin meningkat terutama dalam hal pengembangan sumber daya manusia serta “transfer of technology” yang dimiliki oleh petani Jepang kepada para petani Indonesia.

Ketigabelas peserta trainee dari Indonesia ini akan berusaha keras dalam mempelajari teknik pertanian Jepang yang dimulai dari proses produksi, pengolahan sampai dengan pemasaran. Beberapa trainee mengungkapkan permasalahan utama Pertanian Indonesia saat ini lebih terletak pada proses penentuan harga yang tidak seimbang (terkadang berat sebelah) antara para petani dan tengkulak. Selain itu, dari segi strategi pemasaran juga masih terdapat berbagai kendala bagi petani-petani kecil yang salah satunya disebabkan oleh daya beli masyarakat yang rendah sehingga para petani juga terpaksa menjual produknya dengan harga rendah agar masyarakat kecil dapat mengkonsumsi produk mereka.

Di sela-sela waktu diskusi, salah satu peserta trainee menceritakan pengalamannya dalam menjual produk beras. Para petani menginginkan harga beras tersebut dapat dijual cukup tinggi di pasaran. Namun, jika dijual dengan harga tinggi maka rata-rata karyawan pabrik tidak mampu untuk membeli karena upah yang terlalu minim, sehingga memungkinkan terjadinya masalah kelaparan di suatu daerah. Masalah lainnya, para petani harus siap bersaing dengan hasil produk pertanian murah yang diimpor dari negara-negara tetangga, seperti China dan Thailand. Akibat persaingan harga di pasar setempat, para petani harus menurunkan harga produknya untuk dapat bersaing dengan harga produk impor. Hal ini membuat para petani merasa dirugikan karena terkadang hasil penjualan produk pertanian mereka tidak mampu menutupi biaya produksinya. Permasalahan ini merupakan suatu dilema bagi para petani terutama dalam mencari jalan keluar yang terbaik.

Untuk memecahkan masalah-masalah pertanian Indonesia yang ada saat ini, para peserta trainee bertekad untuk berusaha menemukan jawabannya

Petani teladan selama mengikuti kegiatan program pelatihan ini yang akan memakan waktu sekitar 1 (satu) hingga 3 (tiga) tahun ke depan di Jepang ini. Para petani juga mengharapkan dukungan penuh dari pemerintah pusat dan daerah untuk dapat selalu mendukung usaha bisnis pertanian mereka sepulang dari Jepang nantinya. Tanpa dukungan dari pemerintah, para petani tidak dapat berbuat banyak karena terbentur dengan kebijakan perdagangan produk pertanian yang berbelit serta modal yang sangat terbatas. Ketigabelas petani juga mengajak seluruh penduduk Indonesia untuk dapat “mencintai produk dalam negeri” dan mereka akan selalu berusaha memproduksi produk pertanian yang berkulitas agar dapat bersaing dengan produk impor.

Mr. Sakamoto-san dari JAEC juga menambahkan, jika rekan-rekan ingin melakukan perubahan terhadap pertanian Indonesia, hal-hal yang harus dilakukan oleh para peserta trainee adalah selalu melakukan perubahan ke arah yang lebih baik dan selalu berpikir maju ke depan dibarengi dengan peningkatan sumber daya manusia. Sakamoto-san juga mengharapkan kepada para trainee agar memiliki keinginan dan keyakinan yang kuat dalam mengikuti program pelatihan ini dengan baik, sehingga para induk semang (petani Jepang) merasa sangat senang dan bangga atas jerih payah yang dilakukan oleh rekan-rekan trainee sekalian selama di lapangan nantinya. Satu hal penting yang harus ditanamkan adalah jagalah nama baik bangsa negara Indonesia selama tinggal di negeri Sakura ini. Ditambahkan pula bahwa para trainee diharapkan “banyak belajar, banyak bekerja dan banyak makan” selama program pelatihan ini berlangsung.

Akhir kata, hal sekecil apapun yang kita pelajari pasti mempunyai makna dan arti, sehingga kita tetap harus terus belajar dan berkarya secara positif untuk menjadi petani kebanggaan bangsa Indonesia.

Minasan, Ganbatte kudasai!!!

*Sekretaris Umum IASA (Indonesian Agricultural Sciences Association) /
Interpreter JAEC (Japan Agricultural Exchange Council)
Tokyo University of Agriculture, Graduate School of Agriculture, Department of International Bio-Business (MSc. Candidate)
3-9-37, Sakuragaoka, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-0054

Sumber: IASA, 26 April 2009

#PemudaPetani
#BelajarDiJepang
#PertanianIndonesia
#PetaniMuda
#KerjaSamaIndonesiaJepang

Key facts about swine influenza

Swine Flu

What is Swine Influenza?

Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza virus that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza in pigs. Swine flu viruses cause high levels of illness and low death rates in pigs. Swine influenza viruses may circulate among swine throughout the year, but most outbreaks occur during the late fall and winter months similar to outbreaks in humans. The classical swine flu virus (an influenza type A H1N1 virus) was first isolated from a pig in 1930.

How many swine flu viruses are there?

Like all influenza viruses, swine flu viruses change constantly. Pigs can be infected by avian influenza and human influenza viruses as well as swine influenza viruses. When influenza viruses from different species infect pigs, the viruses can reassort (i.e. swap genes) and new viruses that are a mix of swine, human and/or avian influenza viruses can emerge. Over the years, different variations of swine flu viruses have emerged. At this time, there are four main influenza type A virus subtypes that have been isolated in pigs: H1N1, H1N2, H3N2, and H3N1. However, most of the recently isolated influenza viruses from pigs have been H1N1 viruses.

Swine Flu in Humans

Can humans catch swine flu?

Swine flu viruses do not normally infect humans. However, sporadic human infections with swine flu have occurred. Most commonly, these cases occur in persons with direct exposure to pigs (e.g. children near pigs at a fair or workers in the swine industry). In addition, there have been documented cases of one person spreading swine flu to others. For example, an outbreak of apparent swine flu infection in pigs in Wisconsin in 1988 resulted in multiple human infections, and, although no community outbreak resulted, there was antibody evidence of virus transmission from the patient to health care workers who had close contact with the patient.

How common is swine flu infection in humans?

In the past, CDC received reports of approximately one human swine influenza virus infection every one to two years in the U.S., but from December 2005 through February 2009, 12 cases of human infection with swine influenza have been reported.

What are the symptoms of swine flu in humans?

The symptoms of swine flu in people are expected to be similar to the symptoms of regular human seasonal influenza and include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing. Some people with swine flu also have reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Can people catch swine flu from eating pork?

No. Swine influenza viruses are not transmitted by food. You can not get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork and pork products is safe. Cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160°F kills the swine flu virus as it does other bacteria and viruses.

How does swine flu spread?

Influenza viruses can be directly transmitted from pigs to people and from people to pigs. Human infection with flu viruses from pigs are most likely to occur when people are in close proximity to infected pigs, such as in pig barns and livestock exhibits housing pigs at fairs. Human-to-human transmission of swine flu can also occur. This is thought to occur in the same way as seasonal flu occurs in people, which is mainly person-to-person transmission through coughing or sneezing of people infected with the influenza virus. People may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.

What do we know about human-to-human spread of swine flu?

In September 1988, a previously healthy 32-year-old pregnant woman was hospitalized for pneumonia and died 8 days later. A swine H1N1 flu virus was detected. Four days before getting sick, the patient visited a county fair swine exhibition where there was widespread influenza-like illness among the swine.
In follow-up studies, 76% of swine exhibitors tested had antibody evidence of swine flu infection but no serious illnesses were detected among this group. Additional studies suggest that one to three health care personnel who had contact with the patient developed mild influenza-like illnesses with antibody evidence of swine flu infection.

How can human infections with swine influenza be diagnosed?

To diagnose swine influenza A infection, a respiratory specimen would generally need to be collected within the first 4 to 5 days of illness (when an infected person is most likely to be shedding virus). However, some persons, especially children, may shed virus for 7 days or longer. Identification as a swine flu influenza A virus requires sending the specimen to CDC for laboratory testing.

What medications are available to treat swine flu infections in humans?

There are four different antiviral drugs that are licensed for use in the US for the treatment of influenza: amantadine, rimantadine, oseltamivir and zanamivir. While most swine influenza viruses have been susceptible to all four drugs, the most recent H1N1 influenza viruses isolated from humans are resistant to amantadine and rimantadine.

What other examples of swine flu outbreaks are there?

Probably the most well known is an outbreak of swine flu among soldiers in Fort Dix, New Jersey in 1976. The virus caused disease with x-ray evidence of pneumonia in at least 4 soldiers and 1 death; all of these patients had previously been healthy. The virus was transmitted to close contacts in a basic training environment, with limited transmission outside the basic training group. The virus is thought to have circulated for a month and disappeared. The source of the virus, the exact time of its introduction into Fort Dix, and factors limiting its spread and duration are unknown. The Fort Dix outbreak may have been caused by introduction of an animal virus into a stressed human population in close contact in crowded facilities during the winter. The swine influenza A virus collected from a Fort Dix soldier was named A/New Jersey/76 (Hsw1N1).

Swine Flu in Pigs

How does swine flu spread among pigs?

Swine flu viruses are thought to be spread mostly through close contact among pigs and possibly from contaminated objects moving between infected and uninfected pigs. Herds with continuous swine flu infections and herds that are vaccinated against swine flu may have sporadic disease, or may show only mild or no symptoms of infection.

What are signs of swine flu in pigs?

Signs of swine flu in pigs can include sudden onset of fever, depression, coughing (barking), discharge from the nose or eyes, sneezing, breathing difficulties, eye redness or inflammation, and going off feed.

How common is swine flu among pigs?

H1N1 and H3N2 swine flu viruses are endemic among pig populations in the United States and something that the industry deals with routinely. Outbreaks among pigs normally occur in colder weather months (late fall and winter) and sometimes with the introduction of new pigs into susceptible herds. Studies have shown that the swine flu H1N1 is common throughout pig populations worldwide, with 25 percent of animals showing antibody evidence of infection. In the U.S. studies have shown that 30 percent of the pig population has antibody evidence of having had H1N1 infection. More specifically, 51 percent of pigs in the north-central U.S. have been shown to have antibody evidence of infection with swine H1N1. Human infections with swine flu H1N1 viruses are rare. There is currently no way to differentiate antibody produced in response to flu vaccination in pigs from antibody made in response to pig infections with swine H1N1 influenza.
While H1N1 swine viruses have been known to circulate among pig populations since at least 1930, H3N2 influenza viruses did not begin circulating among US pigs until 1998. The H3N2 viruses initially were introduced into the pig population from humans. The current swine flu H3N2 viruses are closely related to human H3N2 viruses.

Is there a vaccine for swine flu?

Vaccines are available to be given to pigs to prevent swine influenza. There is no vaccine to protect humans from swine flu. The seasonal influenza vaccine will likely help provide partial protection against swine H3N2, but not swine H1N1 viruses.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1600 Clifton Rd. Atlanta, GA 30333, USA 800-CDC-INFO

Antigenic shift

Uncover Bali’s Hidden Soil Secrets for Farming

Soil texture is relative comparison of three major particle groupings in a soil mass. Singular grains are called soil particle whereas combinations of particles are called soil fractions. Clay fractions are soil fractions with very fine particles measuring (less than) < 0.002 mm. Silt fractions have a diameter of 0.002 – 0.05 mm while the biggest from is sand fractions with particle diameter of 0.05 – 2.0 mm. Soil mass particles can be made up of all three of these types of particles. Soil is considered having a rough texture where the mixture of particles is mainly sand and the proportion of the other particle types is negligible and can be ignored. In soil with medium texture the soil is dominated by silt particles and soil with a dominance of clay particles is classified as fine soil. These are the three simple soil texture classifications and these textures rarely vary. Because these characteristics are permanent these textures have become the basis for soil classification.

The soil of Bali Island is dominated by soil of medium texture and that only minor areas have fine or rough texture. Soils with fine texture can be found at Nusa Dua while soil with rough texture can be found on the island of Nusa Penida which is still a part of Klungkung Regency.

The Latosol soil type covers 44.59% of the total area of Bali and is found in Denpasar City and the Regencies of Badung, Tabanan, Jembrana, part of Karangasem, Buleleng and Klungkung. Latosol soil is soil that has undergone intensive breakdown and development of advanced soil. Specifications: this soil is shades of red raging from red to a reddish yellow or to reddish brown with a pH of $.5 – 6.5, with a fine to medium texture and a structure which is crumbly to slightly sticky, with deep permeability and soil fertility which is low to medium.

Regosol soil which covers 39.92% of the area of Bali Island is divided into volcanic ash regosol (found around volcanoes), regosol sand hills (along the beaches) and regosol sedimentary rock (found around folded hill topography). Generally, regosol soil type is rich in phosphorous and kalium but poor in nitrogen. However the phosphor and kalium are in form which is not ready to be absorbed by plants because they have not yet broken down so that this soil needs organic fertilizer in the form of animal droppings or compost to speed up its breakdown. The acidic level or pH of regosol is around 6 – 7. As it ages the structure and consistency become increasingly solid and even sometimes forms a layer with a porosity and drainage capacity that is restricted or in other words, difficult for water to pass through. Generally this regosol soil type has not yet formed an aggregate so that it is sensitive to erosion. In Bali regosol can be found in the regencies of Gianyar, Bangli, most of Karangasem, part of Klungkung, Boleleng and Denpasar.

Mediterranean soil is classified as red soil type that has undergone soil formation for a long period. This soil has an alkaline character with a pH of 5.5 – 8.0. This soil type contains hardened calcium and iron, has deep permeability and sticky structure but in spite of this has medium to high fertility. This kind of soil can be found at Nusa Penida and Nusa Dua.

Aluvial soil is land which has often or recently undergone a food so that it can be considered young and has not yet undergone horizontal differentiation. Because it has been formed by flooding the characteristic of the soil is depend on the level, origins and material types carried by the flood so that its level of fertility really depend on the material’s origins. Soil of this type only covers 4.87% of the land area of Bali and is mostly found in the western coastal areas.

The Andosol soil found around Lakes Buyan, Tamblingan and Brittan is of a type of Black soil. The word ando comes from the Japanese language and means dark or black. Andosol contains of high level of organic material with high carbon and nitrogen levels but a low level of phosphorous. Andosol has a high water absorption capacity so that it is always saturated if covered by vegetation. This soil type breaks up very easily but has resilient structure so that it is easy to handle. The high permeability is caused by the fact that it contains abundant micropores.

The interaction of soil and agroclimate

When it comes to growing things soil can become the sole factor in determining the suitability of an area for certain commodities. The interaction of soil and agroclimate which include the factor of air, humidity, light intensity and rainfall in the area become interacting factors that influence plant metabolism in order to produce the organs of a plant such as leaves, flowers and fruit. It’s the result of this metabolism which makes the final effect on the quality of a commodity and the taste of its fruit or vegetable.

The soil factor can be modified with soil treatment, fertilizing, applying lime and irrigation but the factor of climate can only be modified by building glass and plastics houses or shade houses to create a micro-climate around the plants. For the small farmer with limited capital these houses are of course not economical. The following is an explanation of how the interaction of soil and agroclimate in the regencies that makes them suitable for the planting of specific commodities.

Farming potentials of the Balinese soil and problems

A. Buleleng Regency

Buleleng Regency’s soils are dominated by Latosol and Regosol, and the area has a rainfall of 2.431 mm / year with an average temperature of 27 C making it an area that is potential for farming. Around 1975 Buleleng was making great headway with keprok Tejakula oranges (Tejakula being the name of the district in which they were grown). This condition was spurred on by the attack of the CVPD virus which destroyed orange trees in Java so that the numbers of trees in Buleleng reached 6 million trees. But in 1983/1984 the CVPD virus also attacked trees in Bali wiping them out completely. From then on there has been the development of grapes has spread in Buleleng so that until now Buleleng has become the centre for grape production in Bali.

Grapevines are suitable and grow well in areas from a height of 0 – 300 m above sea level, with temperatures of 25 – 31 C; a humidity of 40 – 80 %; rainfall 800 mm / year and in a sandy soil with a pH 6.5 – 7.0. If we see from the specifications for growth Buleleng should be suitable for growing grapes and the districts of Grokgak, Seririt and Banjar have become centres for grape growing. The problem faced by growers is attacks funguses in the wet season which result in the fall of fruit quality so that they fail to be competitive with imported grapes in the market. Beside this there is a lack of technology for turning the fruit into grape juice, raisins and other products. Wineries are also limited in number and these are mostly owned by foreigners. Formerly Buleleng was known for its rice which had nice flavor and texture and the emergence of vineyards has lead to a drop in its production so that it is difficult to find Buleleng rice in the market.

The village of Pancasari in Sukasada District of Buleleng Regency is a highland area on the shores of Lake Buyan and is most widely known for its strawberry production but this area also produces high quality, highland vegetables such as cauliflowers, cabbages, carrots, potatoes, and others. Strawberries (Fragaia veesca L) attain optimal growth in areas at a height of 1000 – 1500 m above sea level (asl), with a noon temperature of 22 – 25 C and overnight temperature of 14 – 18 C and with a humidity of 85 – 95 %. These condition need to be supported by porous soil with a high organic content and a pH of 5.8 – 6.5.

The soil around Lake Buyan is black, porous Andosol soil with high organic content and in combination with the height of Pancasari at 1.100 asl, a noon temperature of 23 – 26 C and night time temperature of 18 C it is in fact ideal for growing strawberries and it is not surprising that the strawberries in the supermarkets of Denpasar generally come from here. As well as this Chrysanthemums and orchids are also grown here. The orchid Phaphiopedilum and Cymbidium which cannot be grown in the low lands is brought to flower here sent to markets all over Bali, especially to Denpasar.

Buleleng Regency is also known for its production of Mangoes (Mangifera indica L.) The interaction of soil and agro climate make Buleleng very suitable for their growth and when the harvest time comes from October to June with its peak from November to December the mangoes of Buleleng dominate the supermarkets and traditional markets of Denpasar. It’s a pity that the farmer’s knowledge about the techniques for growing of commodities is not good because if the government were to provide impetus for the mango agribusiness Buleleng could become a major world producer of mangoes with suitable qualities and quantities.

B. Tabanan Regency

Tabanan Regency has medium textured Latosol soil, a rainfall of 2,723.5 mm / year an average temperature of 27 C and is the rice production centre of Bali as it produces 90% of Bali’s rice. Even though the area of rice fields in Bali has been reduced in the last 5 years, this area with its organized subak is still very productive especially in the Guama Subak in Marga District and the ‘Rejasa’nya subak in Penebel District which are both lowland areas and very suitable for rice production.

Tabanan Regency also has a highland area in Baturiti District which borders on Pancasari village in Sukasada District at a height of 1,100 m asl. This area is a centre for the production of highland vegetables of the Brassicaceae varieties such cauliflower, sawi, broccoli, cabbages and others. These highland vegetables, whether grown in Pancasari or Baturiti are facing the same problem of a reduction in quality caused by plant diseases and there is also a problem with the supply of seedlings. Only carrot seedlings can be produced locally and other seedlings must be bought at high prices from other countries. The problem of seeding production, especially for Brassicaceae varieties is a general problem in Bali as it is only possible to produce them with quality in areas with a high temperature fluctuation between night and day temperatures.

With soil and agroclimate conditions of Tabanan Regency it is also possible to plant mangostein (Garcinia mangostana L.). This flavored fruit with its unique shape is very popular everywhere making it an excellent prospect for export as a Balinese tropical fresh fruit.

C. Jembrana Regency

Jembrana Regency is an area dominated by medium textured Lasotol soil with an average annual rainfall 2,585 mm, a mean temperature of 28.4 C but until now it has not become known for the production of any specific commodity. In spite of this if we see the soil conditions and agro climate of the area are suitable for mixed cropping of corn and beans.

D. Karangasem Regency

Karangasem Regency is renown throughout Indonesia and the world as the area for the production of Salak Bali. This dry area having a rainfall of only 197 mm / year and average daily temperature of 27 – 50 C, and predominantly medium textured regosol soil has an agroclimate that is in fact highly suitable for the production of salak, especially the Salacca edulis salak which falls into the category of Palmae plant type.

As with other Palmae species the salak does not require intensive fertilizing as the salak only requires small amounts of organic fertilizers such as animal droppings. With prices for chemical fertilizers such as nitrogen, phosphate, and kalium being expensive this factor makes the salak really worthwhile for farmers. From the point of view of the environmentally friendly and prevents damage to the soil that would come from their use.

There are three salak producing areas in Karangasem including Duda, Manggis and Sibetan villages although Sibetan village is actually located in the District of Sidemen. It was from these villages that the Balinese salak first originated and which has now spread to other places in Bali. The interaction of agro climate and soil of an area are a specific factor in the production of commodity and it is for this reason that the Sibetan salak had a different flavor and was not as nice when it was tried in Pekutatan in Tabanan Regency.

 

SOURCE : 

The Soil of Bali Island and Potentials for Farming by Rindang Dwiyani in Indonesian Geographical Expedition 2007, National Coordinating Agency for Survey and Mapping.

#BaliSoil 

#SoilTexture 

#BaliFarming 

#Agroclimate 

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