Project News

14 participants consisting of local stakeholders and farmers from Buluto visited Maliana I from 29 to 31 July, 2019 to get ideas and apply them for their second rice production and double-cropping.

The Project has 2 project sites, namely Buluto and Maliana I. The farmers in Buluto seem still to face difficulties to utilize their irrigation water and control their animals effectively. It is shown that the second rice production or double-cropping is not conducted mostly due to lack of consciousness of marketing with the normalization of cropping calendar and animal management. On the other hand, the farmers in Maliana I are clearly heading marketing under well management of limited irrigation water and animals efficiently and effectively to enable them to conduct rice cultivation two times or double-cropping in a year.

Therefore, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) and the Project initiated to conduct 3-day comparative study tour. The tour provided the opportunities the stakeholders and farmers from Buluto to directly observe the fields where second rice production or double-cropping, such as vegetables, beans, corn, and fruits, are conducted. Also they had chances to exchange information and ideas to manage irrigation water and prevent from animal attacks through a year with the local stakeholders and farmers in Maliana I.

The participants from Buluto showed their positive reaction, especially on control of their animals. One of the participants, a president of Laleia Farmers Association, Mr. Alfredo Joao Viegas, said that in order to prevent from animal attacks to their fields, the customary rules "Tara Bandu" has been discussed among the local authorities and farmers in Buluto, however, it has not been implemented yet. So, he believes that by utilizing what we have observed and learnt through this study tour, the "Tara Banadu" will be applied more effectively to support the farmers to conduct second rice production or double-cropping.

The Project will keep to support the farmers to utilize their rice fields more effectively in order to earn stable income by second rice production or double-cropping.

visiting vegetable fields

visiting vegetable fields

visiting fields of second rice production

discussion during the study tour

discussion during the study tour