「雅加達郵報」（Jakarta Post）今天刊登這個故事。培拉佳村（Pelaga）擁有肥沃土壤及豐沛雨量，不過，當地農民習慣種植樹薯、玉米和咖啡等傳統作物，只能帶給他們每月最多10美元的淨收入。迫於生計，有些農民只好出售田地給別墅業者。
他說，以同樣大小的農地而言，當地農民過去種植樹薯、玉米，每年最多只能掙得100萬印尼盾（約新台幣3053元）；改種蘆筍後，1年收成3次，收入增加至1200萬至1500萬印尼盾（約新台幣3萬6000元至4萬6000元）。
談到改變當地農民耕作的方式，蘇天集說，最困難的地方是要扭轉他們的觀念，當地農民過去都是作物種了就不管，也不在意後續的照顧，他可是長久苦口婆心，才灌輸他們正確的農耕觀念。
「耕種是最棒的工作」，卡圖特說，培拉佳村民過去常遠離家鄉去外地工作，不看好務農的前途，如今這裡的村民認為在故鄉耕作是全世界最好的工作；那些離鄉背井的村民現在也陸續返鄉加入耕作行列。
從沒電、沒水的偏鄉孤軍奮戰到今天的成果，最讓蘇天集欣慰的是，培拉佳村民透過種植蘆筍重建身為農民的驕傲；更讓他感動的是，當地農民都知道這是來自台灣的技術和友誼，當地人講起台灣無不豎起大拇指，感謝台灣的幫助。1020530
Paper Edition | Page: 21
At work: Farmer
Ketut Suriani (right) poses with local children at her farm in Pelaga.
Asparagus cultivation, only recently introduced in the village, has
changed the life of famers here.
Resting in the
saddle formed by Bali’s central mountain range is the village of Pelaga.
Hanging here in the space between heaven and earth are farmlands
stretching away and up the slopes of the holy Mount Agung, Mount Batur
and the Bedugul hill range. Billowy clouds skirt the mountains; their
dark peaks above push up and into the realm of the gods.
It is
cool and green here in this temperate zone, with soils enriched by past
volcanic eruptions and good rainfall. Pelaga appears as a utopia on
first discovery — a place to farm crops and raise healthy children.
However,
until recently, local farming families struggled to net as much as
US$10 a month from their efforts growing cassava, corn and coffee — all
traditional foods sold at local markets. In desperation, some of these
subsistence farmers sold off their heritage lands. Villas today dot a
tapestry formed of ripening rice yellows, dark green channels of corn
and the long chocolate lines of rich soil ready for cultivation.
Added
to this tapestry is the soft sage green of a plant that is
revolutionizing farming in Pelaga and bringing unexpected wealth to
local farmers. Villa land sales have now almost stopped as farmers see a
way forward. This newly introduced crop is today ensuring farmers can
earn a living wage and rebuilding their pride in farming.
Three
years ago, Su Tien Chi from Taiwan’s International Corporation
Development Fund (ICDF) arrived in this paradise-in-waiting. An
agriculture graduate, Chi saw immediately the potential to expand crop
types and modernize local farming. Testing soon proved that asparagus
was the ideal crop, offering both year-round harvesting and top-dollar
returns to farmers. Within just two short years, Pelaga has become
Bali’s center for the valuable and highly saleable asparagus that sells
at $5 a kilo for grade-A spears.
Fresh: Baby beans are packed for the market at the cooperative.“It
has been a great success and one we would like to see achieved in other
parts of Bali. The goal of ICDF is our hope to improve economies,” says
Chi via telephone.
Pelaga’s newly developed Mertanadi farmers’
cooperative, founded on the back of asparagus success, is run by a local
man, Ketut Sandi. Born into a local farming family, Ketut took off for
the bright lights and brighter expectations of Kuta, working in the
tourist trade, until he decided the farming life, while tough, might
offer a better quality of life.
“I met Mr. Su here in Pelaga and
we had this commitment to work together for farmers. We did a year’s
research growing broccoli, baby beans, cherry tomatoes and asparagus.
Everything grew very well, but the asparagus was perfect and that has
become our main crop selling to supermarkets and to restaurants as far
away as Jakarta,” says Ketut, stressing that Pelaga farmers no longer
see themselves as bottom-rung citizens, but as proud land owners who can
save for the future using their newly created income.
“Before
the asparagus people were leaving to find work away from the village.
There was this feeling that farming was the poorest of all professions
because it was hard, dirty work and money was always tight. Now people
here see farming can be the best job in the world. Those that left the
village are now coming back,” the 32-year-old said.
“We started
two years ago with 15 farmers. We now have more than 150 growing
asparagus and other high value crops. People are no longer selling off
their lands — they know if they do they will feel remorse. They see now a
road to a good future. Before they did not understand what they have
here,” he added.
Delicious: An
employee at the cooperative packs asparagus farmed in the village for
shipment to Bali’s supermarkets and restaurants — and to restaurants in
Jakarta.Farmer Ibu Ketut Suriani says growing asparagus has changed her life. Gone are the days of worrying over money.
“The
result has been very good. Daily I can earn Rp 40,000 (US$4) from my
800 plants. If I had more land I could make far more income. Asparagus
can be harvested every day, so we have income every day. From this money
I can put aside Rp 10,000 a day, so we are saving money,” the
45-year-old said. “In the past, growing cassava and corn, we only made
about Rp 500,000 over four to five months. That was very tough, so we
farmers have all benefited very much from what Mr. Su has brought to
us.”
Suriani grows broccoli, kale and baby beans, cultivating hedgerows between fields of jackfruit, bananas, papaya and durian.
As
a farmer, Suriani also raises chickens, cattle and pigs. “We only need
to buy a bit of rice and tempeh and water and power. We grow everything
else we need.
“We feel happy every day to see the view of Mount Agung, feel the cool breeze and tend our farms,” she added.
Switching
from traditional crops to asparagus that was first grown in Pelaga from
root stock imported from California and Taiwan has also changed the
life of one of 15 cooperative employees, 32-year-old Kardani. Her
husband had long grown cassava, corn and coffee, barely scratching out a
living despite many hours of backbreaking toil. Today Kardani’s family
is doing well and has a disposable income that gives her greater choice
in purchases.
“Life is far better since the asparagus. Mr. Su is a
great man for the benefit he has brought our community. In the past we
did make ends meet, but only just. We could buy rice, but not much else.
These days we can shop for clothes and other things we need, we can buy
more so we as a family are more relaxed and happy about the future. I
think that’s because we have a better standard of living and we can give
that to our kids,” said Kardani.
The cooperative’s goal is to
expand asparagus farming across 50 hectares and further increase sales,
says co-op head Ketut. Into the future these farmers that have taken a
great step forward also hope to export their precious produce, become
fully organic farms and share their newfound knowledge with other
communities.
Astonishing: Pare, a very rare bitter gourd, is also grown in Pelaga for specialty markets.
Mist-skirted mountains: The
farmers’ cooperative in Pelaga now has more than 150 farmer members and
15 employees growing and preparing the asparagus that have brought new
wealth to local farmers.— Photos By J.B.Djwan
uilding pride through an unlikely vegetable
Trisha Sertori, Contributor, Badung | Feature | Thu, May 30 2013, 3:02 PM
Paper Edition | Page: 21
At work: Farmer
Ketut Suriani (right) poses with local children at her farm in Pelaga.
Asparagus cultivation, only recently introduced in the village, has
changed the life of famers here.
Resting in the
saddle formed by Bali’s central mountain range is the village of Pelaga.
Hanging here in the space between heaven and earth are farmlands
stretching away and up the slopes of the holy Mount Agung, Mount Batur
and the Bedugul hill range. Billowy clouds skirt the mountains; their
dark peaks above push up and into the realm of the gods.
It is
cool and green here in this temperate zone, with soils enriched by past
volcanic eruptions and good rainfall. Pelaga appears as a utopia on
first discovery — a place to farm crops and raise healthy children.
However,
until recently, local farming families struggled to net as much as
US$10 a month from their efforts growing cassava, corn and coffee — all
traditional foods sold at local markets. In desperation, some of these
subsistence farmers sold off their heritage lands. Villas today dot a
tapestry formed of ripening rice yellows, dark green channels of corn
and the long chocolate lines of rich soil ready for cultivation.
Added
to this tapestry is the soft sage green of a plant that is
revolutionizing farming in Pelaga and bringing unexpected wealth to
local farmers. Villa land sales have now almost stopped as farmers see a
way forward. This newly introduced crop is today ensuring farmers can
earn a living wage and rebuilding their pride in farming.
Three
years ago, Su Tien Chi from Taiwan’s International Corporation
Development Fund (ICDF) arrived in this paradise-in-waiting. An
agriculture graduate, Chi saw immediately the potential to expand crop
types and modernize local farming. Testing soon proved that asparagus
was the ideal crop, offering both year-round harvesting and top-dollar
returns to farmers. Within just two short years, Pelaga has become
Bali’s center for the valuable and highly saleable asparagus that sells
at $5 a kilo for grade-A spears.
Fresh: Baby beans are packed for the market at the cooperative.“It
has been a great success and one we would like to see achieved in other
parts of Bali. The goal of ICDF is our hope to improve economies,” says
Chi via telephone.
Pelaga’s newly developed Mertanadi farmers’
cooperative, founded on the back of asparagus success, is run by a local
man, Ketut Sandi. Born into a local farming family, Ketut took off for
the bright lights and brighter expectations of Kuta, working in the
tourist trade, until he decided the farming life, while tough, might
offer a better quality of life.
“I met Mr. Su here in Pelaga and
we had this commitment to work together for farmers. We did a year’s
research growing broccoli, baby beans, cherry tomatoes and asparagus.
Everything grew very well, but the asparagus was perfect and that has
become our main crop selling to supermarkets and to restaurants as far
away as Jakarta,” says Ketut, stressing that Pelaga farmers no longer
see themselves as bottom-rung citizens, but as proud land owners who can
save for the future using their newly created income.
“Before
the asparagus people were leaving to find work away from the village.
There was this feeling that farming was the poorest of all professions
because it was hard, dirty work and money was always tight. Now people
here see farming can be the best job in the world. Those that left the
village are now coming back,” the 32-year-old said.
“We started
two years ago with 15 farmers. We now have more than 150 growing
asparagus and other high value crops. People are no longer selling off
their lands — they know if they do they will feel remorse. They see now a
road to a good future. Before they did not understand what they have
here,” he added.
Delicious: An
employee at the cooperative packs asparagus farmed in the village for
shipment to Bali’s supermarkets and restaurants — and to restaurants in
Jakarta.Farmer Ibu Ketut Suriani says growing asparagus has changed her life. Gone are the days of worrying over money.
“The
result has been very good. Daily I can earn Rp 40,000 (US$4) from my
800 plants. If I had more land I could make far more income. Asparagus
can be harvested every day, so we have income every day. From this money
I can put aside Rp 10,000 a day, so we are saving money,” the
45-year-old said. “In the past, growing cassava and corn, we only made
about Rp 500,000 over four to five months. That was very tough, so we
farmers have all benefited very much from what Mr. Su has brought to
us.”
Suriani grows broccoli, kale and baby beans, cultivating hedgerows between fields of jackfruit, bananas, papaya and durian.
As
a farmer, Suriani also raises chickens, cattle and pigs. “We only need
to buy a bit of rice and tempeh and water and power. We grow everything
else we need.
“We feel happy every day to see the view of Mount Agung, feel the cool breeze and tend our farms,” she added.
Switching
from traditional crops to asparagus that was first grown in Pelaga from
root stock imported from California and Taiwan has also changed the
life of one of 15 cooperative employees, 32-year-old Kardani. Her
husband had long grown cassava, corn and coffee, barely scratching out a
living despite many hours of backbreaking toil. Today Kardani’s family
is doing well and has a disposable income that gives her greater choice
in purchases.
“Life is far better since the asparagus. Mr. Su is a
great man for the benefit he has brought our community. In the past we
did make ends meet, but only just. We could buy rice, but not much else.
These days we can shop for clothes and other things we need, we can buy
more so we as a family are more relaxed and happy about the future. I
think that’s because we have a better standard of living and we can give
that to our kids,” said Kardani.
The cooperative’s goal is to
expand asparagus farming across 50 hectares and further increase sales,
says co-op head Ketut. Into the future these farmers that have taken a
great step forward also hope to export their precious produce, become
fully organic farms and share their newfound knowledge with other
communities.
Astonishing: Pare, a very rare bitter gourd, is also grown in Pelaga for specialty markets.
Mist-skirted mountains: The
farmers’ cooperative in Pelaga now has more than 150 farmer members and
15 employees growing and preparing the asparagus that have brought new
wealth to local farmers.— Photos By J.B.Djwan
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/05/30/building-pride-through-unlikely-vegetable.html
沒有留言:
張貼留言