Citrus fruits are apparently emerging as the next big thing amongst corn formers in Kintamani, Bangli.
Because they seem to be having a better time selling oranges than corn, the farmers are converting land they have traditionally used to harvest corn into jeruk-producing plots.
“Most farmers in Kintamani divert corn crop land into land where they plant citrus to sell in the local market, to meet the demands of tourists, local society, and ritual purposes,” Kintamani citrus farmer Made Suana told Tempo on Tuesday.
From Tempo’s report, the move to citrus farming has helped a number of farmers in the area with important purchases like buying motorcycles, repairing homes, sending children to university, and so on.
Kintamani is not the only area in Bali trading out corn in favor of less water-demanding crops (something that needs to happen with such a heavy drought throughout much of Bali during the dry season). Klungkung regent Nyoman Suwitra has reportedly been encouraging Nusa Penida farmers to take land typically designated for growing corn and grow other crops that can be more profitable.
These kinds of changes amongst farmers has not surprisingly impacted Bali’s total corn output. Overall, corn production in Bali has declined in the past year from 2014 to 2015 by 11.05 percent, according to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS).
