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Jakarta Post

Denpasar farmers face unusual pest

For months farmers grouped in Anggabaya, a subak or traditional irrigation organization in Penatih, East Denpasar, have fought a losing battle against a most uncommon pest: freshwater crabs

Wasti Atmodjo (The Jakarta Post)
Denpasar
Tue, April 7, 2009 Published on Apr. 7, 2009 Published on 2009-04-07T14:29:35+07:00

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Denpasar farmers face unusual pest

F

or months farmers grouped in Anggabaya, a subak or traditional irrigation organization in Penatih, East Denpasar, have fought a losing battle against a most uncommon pest: freshwater crabs.

Unlike other pests, the crabs have left the rice untouched. It is the irrigation channels that supply rice fields with water that have fallen victim to their persistent burrowing.

Hordes of freshwater crabs have dug their burrows in the walls of the irrigation ditches. Apparently, a large number of them dig so thoroughly that they have virtually created open ended tunnels in the hardened mud walls of the ditches.

The crab tunnels drain water out of the rice fields into the ditches, taking essential hydration away from the crops.

"They make so many holes and all those holes quickly suck all the water the rice plants desperately need to grow," subak leader Made Jada said.

"These yuyu (freshwater crabs) are very effective in drying up our rice fields."

The Subak Anggabaya manages irrigation and farming affairs of 30 hectares of rice fields which belong to the subak's 78 members. Jada has 6,000 square meters of rice fields.

Fortunately, the crabs have yet to inflict significant damage to the subak's overall yield. In the last two harvest seasons, the average yield is still at the normal level of 60 kilograms per 100 square meter of rice field.

However, the attack has proven a grueling test of the farmers' patience.

"It is truly annoying. We have to work extra hard to maintain the integrity of our irrigation channels," Jada said.

"The attack has forced us to spend most of our time monitoring the ditches and blocking the tunnels by filling them with mud. We have to do this repeatedly because the crabs keep creating new tunnels."

Gede Ambara Putra, head of the Denpasar Agriculture Agency, confirmed the reports of the crab problem. Besides Anggabaya, he said, attacks are also taking place in Peguyangan Kaja, in North Denpasar.

"In Peguyangan Kaja we once tried to solve the problem by reinforcing the walls of the ditches with cement," he said.

The method did not deter the crabs, which simply burrowed tunnels underneath the cement and, in some cases, even clawed directly through it.

One solution being considered is distributing bubu (traditional bamboo traps) to the farmers. Jada was a bit pessimistic as to the idea of using traps to foil the attacks. The problem with the method is, according to Jada, what the farmers will do with the captured crabs.

"We once cooked the crabs. The meat is tasty but after consuming it our body turned itchy," he said.

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