TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Farmers use 3-kg LPG canisters to pump water

Ganug Nugroho Adi (The Jakarta Post)
Sragen, Central Java
Wed, September 13, 2017

Share This Article

Change Size

Farmers use 3-kg LPG canisters to pump water Dry run: A resident travels on his motorbike on the dry waterbed in Sragen, Central Java. Residents use subsidized 3-kilograms liquefied petroleum gas canisters to operate their water pumping machines. (JP/Ganug Nugroho Adi)

T

he shortage of subsidized 3-kilogram liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) canisters in Sragen, Central Java, has continued to worsen as the water crisis hits more areas across the regency.

Farmers have begun to use 3-kg LPG canisters to operate their water pumping machines to irrigate their paddy fields that have dried up. This has caused the price of the 3-kg LPG canisters to skyrocket to Rp 25,000 (US$1.89) per canister, far exceeding its price ceiling of Rp 17,000.

“The price of a 3-kg LPG canister is equal to the price of four liters of gasoline. If we use gasoline, our water pumps can operate for around 4-5 hours. They can operate for seven hours if we use LPG,” said Sartomo, 45, a farmer from Tenggak village in Sidoharjo district.

He said every day he used up two 3-kg LPG canisters to irrigate his paddy field, which is only around one hectare. The LPG canisters were used to operate his machine for 14 hours, from pumping water from a drilled well to irrigating the paddy field.

“This is more cost-efficient compared to gasoline. To get the LPG canisters, we must compete against other residents, however. This is why its price has continued to increase, now reaching Rp 25,000, up from Rp 20,000.”

Other farmers in 12 districts across Sragen have also used the 3-kg LPG canisters to pump water.

Sragen Industry and Trade Agency head Untung Sugihartono said he could not prohibit farmers from using the 3-kg LPG canisters to irrigate their paddy fields, although they were actually intended for household purposes, such as cooking.  (ebf)

{

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.