New agro-tourism village in Karangasem

Ni Komang Erviani ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Denpasar.   |  Sat, 04/18/2009 2:21 PM  |  The Archipelago

The Bali provincial administration is currently developing an agro-tourism village project in Besakih, Karangasem regency, 75 kilometers east of Denpasar.

The project, overseen by the provincial agricultural agency, is scheduled to be completed within the next five years.

It covers a 200 hectare plot of land belonging to the Besakih community.

Head of the agriculture office, Wayan Badra Wisnaya, told reporters on Friday that since 2008, local farmers have grown 4,000 orange trees and 5,000 durian (durio zibethinus murr) trees on their lands.

"The office provided seeds for trees to the crop and horticultural office, valued at Rp 150 million," said Winaya.

The community-based agricultural project teaches local farmers how to manage and market their harvests.

The administration also provides technical assistance and funding for the project.

"The development of the Besakih agro-tourism village will be connected with other agro-tourism projects in the neighboring village of Sibetan," he said.

Sibetan village has successfully established salak, or snake-skin fruit (Salacca Zalacca) plantations. The fruit is processed into various products including salak wine, jelly, candies and juices. Some of these products are then exported to a number of overseas countries.

Aloysius Purwa, chairman of the Bali chapter of the Indonesian Tour and Travel Association, said the travel industry would support the program as it would benefit the appeal of the Besakih village. The village is already a tourist spot, home to the island's Grand Temple of Besakih, located on the slope of Mount Agung. The temple is one of the most sacred and beautifully designed worship places in Bali, attracting both domestic and foreign tourists.

The development of the agro-tourist village would attract more visitors to the area, Purwa said.

"Foreigners love to see the lives of people in Bali's villages," he said.

Purwa suggested the local government and the community actively involve the tourist industry which has experience in managing and promoting tourist destinations. "The Bali administration can invite tourism representatives to jointly promote any agro-tourism sites. Otherwise visitors have no information on the projects," he said.

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