"The local government will provide a subsidy of Rp700 per kg."Denpasar (ANTARA News) - The Bali provincial government has allocated Rp4 billion in subsidies for organic fertilizers in an effort to increase their use in the 10,000 hectares of farmland under rice cultivation in the province.
"The amount of funds allocated from the regional budget this year is the same as last year's," said the head of Food Crops of Bali, Ida Bagus Wisnuardana, here.
He stated that the subsidy would be given to farmers groups, among others, who had been producing organic fertilizers.
"Farmers groups and other producers of organic fertilizer (Simantri) have been selling their product at Rp 1,000 per kg," Wisnuardana noted.
"Therefore, the local government will provide a subsidy of Rp700 per kg, after which the selling price would come down to Rp300 per kg," he continued.
"That way, the price of the subsidized fertilizer would be lower than a similar fertilizer produced in another plant that sells it for Rp500 per kg," Wisnuardana said.
Besides Simantri, he stated, Bali has 22 farmers groups that have the permission to produce organic fertilizers.
"Therefore, the farmers groups and Simantri will receive the subsidies for organic fertilizers," Wisnuardana added.
Over the past three years, local farmers groups have benefitted from the fertilizer subsidies provided by the Bali government.
In previous years, subsidies worth billions of rupiah were given to develop organic fertilizer plants.
Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika launched a program called "Organic Bali" to promote the use organic fertilizers in agriculture.
The Bali government is encouraging farmers to use organic fertilisers as part of its efforts to increase agricultural production in the province.
For his efforts in promoting organic fertilisers, the governor received an award from the Minister of Agriculture, Suswono, in November last year.
(U.S038/INE/KR-BSR/O001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2013
