Back To Nature Farming

Farmers in Indonesia are ranked the lowest among the country's income earners. Last February, the trade value ratio for farmers nationally fell by 0.58 percent from the previous month, according to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS). The trade ratio is the difference calculated between the buying and selling rates of farming commodities. But farmers are not discouraged by this state of affairs, as many now turn to various alternatives, particularly the different techniques of cultivation and adapting them to the increasing impacts of climate change, in order to raise productivity. At Bulukumba, South Sulawesi, local farmers are actively developing natural agriculture and using self-made fertilizers. In Mamuju, West Sulawesi, local cacao farmers can now sell their crops for premium prices after successfully improving their planting and marketing methods. Tempo English reports their stories.