BEING freed from having to plant sugar cane has been a real blessing for Mursidi, 67, from the village of Karang, near Klaten in Central Java. This father of six now no longer needs to drive his dokar, a two-wheeled, horse-driven buggy to supplement his income. In fact he has now sold his buggy because he is more focused on managing his rice fields.

Growing rice is much more profitable for Mursidi than planting sugar cane. His rice-fields, which