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The orange men
In Bangli, rich volcanic soil feeds hectares of orange groves
In Bangli, rich volcanic soil feeds hectares of orange groves. Grey skies blanket these slopes near Kintamani, preventing the leaves and young fruit from burning.
Rains also wash down the hills and drain gently away, preventing the roots of the trees from becoming too wet or too dry.
These perfect orange-growing conditions should be a blessing for farmers tending their crops. However, an annual glut of fruit during the harvest between July and August collapses prices and means tons are wasted.
Working with farmers is Liao Chao Chiung, an agricultural specialist with the Taiwan Technical Mission in the Republic of Indonesia, which has created virtual miracles in Plaga in Badung regency, helping farmers shift from low-value crops, such as cassava, to higher value crops, like asparagus and cherry tomatoes.
In Bangli, the mission focuses on raising new varieties of oranges and developing value-added products, such as marmalade and orange cakes.
The 'One Village One Product' project (OVOP) is already booking results, but still has a way to go, says OVOP sales and marketing officer Nengah Dana.
'We have been working with the Taiwan Technical Mission since 2009 ' about the same time as Plaga began investigating other crops,' says the 46-year-old. 'Oranges are the plants we have been farming for a long time. The variety is Jeruk Siam, which means 'slightly bitter'.'
Jeruk Siam, or the Thai Orange, is small and green and has a heady perfume. It is more like a Mandarin in flavor and size.
When the mission set up in Bangli, local citrus farmers sold the bulk of their produce to middlemen for export to Java, says Dana.
'The price was set by the middlemen, not by the farmers. Farmers here worked their crops traditionally. There was no agricultural technology. They farmed in the most simple way ' and if they were running small farms, it was tough to make a living.'
With guidance from the mission, farmers are currently developing value-added products so they can put excess harvests to use, as well as implementing new techniques such as pruning and the use of organic fertilizers.
Farmers are also taking advantage of the region's fertility to cultivate new varieties, according to Chiung, who spoke via telephone from Jakarta.
'Bangli is an excellent area for orange growing. For orange production, the problem is the varieties grown now are not good enough [for new markets], so the Taiwan Technical Mission is introducing new varieties of oranges, such as the Washington Navel Orange, which will bring a better price to farmers,' Chiung says.
Excess fruits are also being used to make pia jeruk (orange cakes) and marmalade. 'In this we are trying to ease in cultural materials, so we have just had the 'King and Queen of Bangli' contest to promote local products,' says Chiung.
However, sales and distribution of these new products are a work in progress.
Dana explains the process. 'We are still experimenting with products that can be made during market gluts of oranges. We hope using this excess harvest can stabilize the prices throughout the year. That is the goal, and we are working with the Batari micro-business cooperative to make pia jeruk and marmalade.'
He says that getting products into supermarkets remains a challenge.
'So far, there has not been a change in the financial lives of the women making the cakes or the men making the jam,' Dana says. 'This is still an introductory period for the products. We began this 15 months ago and have tried to get our products into supermarkets, but we have not yet been successful.'
While the push to introduce new products is underway, the orange farmers say they are already seeing results in the field.
Another farmer, Moyo, says he has been farming oranges on his two hectare plot for the past 15 years. His groves are laden with ripening fruits, and he says he expects a bumper crop this year.
'The OVOP project is good, but we must be more serious. Sometimes the yields are so large that people are confused as to what to do with the excess fruits. Our hope is that Bali will set up a factory to use this fruit,' says Moyo.
Another possibility lies in citrus oils. Dana says he currently talking to an oil producer. 'He only needs the skins, so what can we do with the fruit? In Bangli we have an excess of products, but not the technology to take advantage of this.'
Meanwhile, Nyoman Arta checks his crops, with his three-year-old son, Made, at his knee.
'I am an orange farmer because it's a good life and I can manage my own time without a boss,' Arta says. 'I started out here because the cloudy weather is ideal for oranges. OVOP is adding to the quality of climate and soils here with technical skills. We are learning new ways to farm. Already my yields are up through pruning and fruit thinning that allows better fruit to grow larger.'
The problem of the annual orange glut remains, however. 'The goal is to improve the lives of farmers and farming communities. With OVOP strategies like new orange varieties and value added products we hope to achieve that goal in time,' says Dana.
' Photos by JB Djwan
