Rice Farmers' Deliberation

Amirullah Rul ceaselessly cut rice paddy in a small field in Mangempang, a hamlet in Maros regency, South Sulawesi, and placed the sheaves on the field's bank. Amirullah, 44, hoped to reap a bountiful crop. In the previous harvest he reaped four tons of dry paddy. "It seems this year might produce more," he told Tempo. With dry rice paddy going for Rp4,000 per kilogram, Amirullah stood to earn at least earn Rp16 million. "I'm going to save half for my first son's college tuition," he said.

According to Amirullah, the chief of the Mangempang, the crop was satisfactory because the locals had agreed to plant a variety of rice that fit the hamlet's climate. They grew the IR-64 variety, which is able to withstand harsh wind and rain. Before the planting season, it was predicted that rain would come with a vengeance. "So we asked the government to provide us with a subsidy for this type of rice," Amirullah said.