EU finances agricultural projects in Bali

Rita A. Widiadana The Jakarta Post Singaraja, North Bali

Ambassador/Head of the Delegation of the European Commission Sabato Dela Monica and Bali Governor I Dewa Made Beratha inaugurated a 6.625 million Euro (Rp 58 billion) irrigated agricultural projects in several impoverished villages in Buleleng, North Bali, and Karangasem in East Bali on Friday.

The projects are the continuation of the North Bali Ground Water Irrigation and Water Supply which were completed in l999. The projects, however, had to be redesigned during its implementation due to a number of technical reasons.

The first-phase of the project, 15 ground water irrigation systems are already completed and operational. For the remaining 15 locations, the survey, investigation and design (SID) processes had been completed and deep wells constructed.

The second-phase of the project will involve piped irrigation distribution networks and pumping systems to be installed in 15 existing sub-project areas, and rehabilitation and upgrading of the nine existing system.

Governor Dewa Beratha expressed the hope that the project would benefit local people who are now living in dry and infertile areas in northern and eastern parts of Bali.

"Bali is divided into two areas --the rich and the poor areas. In the southern part of the island, there are abundant of water resources because these areas posses rivers and lakes, but in the northern and eastern parts, people have to dig wells hundreds of meters from the ground level to get water for drinking and irrigation," he said.

It is hoped that the project would provide local people with adequate water for irrigation and daily needs, he said.

Buleleng regency has been known as an agricultural area but due to lack of water and irrigation system, the result is not so encouraging.

Meanwhile Ambassador Dela Monica insisted that the project reflects the European Union's strong commitment to help Indonesia in its effort to reduce poverty in the country.

The European Union has committed to providing 6.125 million Euros in grant, and the remaining 500,000 Euro has to be allocated by the Indonesian government.

The Ministry of Settlements and Regional Infrastructure will execute the projects, with the Bali provincial irrigation services acting as the implementing agency.

The projects have been established based on the European Commission 's Country strategy paper for Indonesia, which provides the framework to focus and target all of the European Union's assistance during a five-year period of 2002-2006.

An indicative sum of 216 million Euros has been earmarked to finance this strategy for Indonesia including to promote good governance, health and education, sustainable management of natural resources, poverty alleviation programs and women's empowerment.

"The aim of the project is to empower the grass root, to introduce high income generating mixed farming systems through the introduction of new high yielding crops; to increase the involvement of female community members in agriculture and other income generating activities; and to enhance the professional capacity of local irrigation and agricultural organizations," the ambassador said.

The project is being implemented in a number of remote and poor villages of Bondalem in Buleleng and Les village in Karangasem regency.

During a site visit to one of the Tubewell User Groups (TUGs) in Les village, around 45 kilometer east of Singaraja, Bali governor Dewa Beratha accompanied an entourage of Ambassadors and high-ranking diplomats from the European Union countries which include the Ambassador of Greece Alexios Christopoulous, the Ambassador of the Netherlands Ruud Treffers, the Ambassador of Spain Damaso de Lario, Ambassador/ Head of the delegation of the European Commission Sabata Dela Monica and other senior diplomats from the Embassies of Portugal, Finland and France.

"These projects are yours (Indonesian people) not the European Union's, therefore participations of all stakeholders including farmers and local community should be encouraged," Ambassador Dela Monica told The Jakarta Post and Kompas.