Farmers greet delayed cloud seeding

TEMANGGUNG, Central Java: Tobacco farmers are happy with the government's decision to delay cloud seeding in the province, a farmer association leader said here on Thursday.

The chairman of the Tobacco Farmers and Traders Association in Temanggung, Iriyanto, said rains resulting from cloud seeding would disrupt farmers, who are currently harvesting their crops.

Cloud seeding was to have been conducted in Wonogiri and Sukoharjo, the most drought-ridden regencies in the province.

There are 17,932 hectares of tobacco plantations across 12 districts in Temanggung, with annual production estimated at 17,654 tons.

The quality of tobacco depends on the climate during harvesting. The best quality tobacco sold at Rp 30,000 per kilogram last year.

The regent of Temanggung, Sarjono, revealed weather conditions were currently favorable for tobacco farmers to harvest their highest quality tobacco and hoped that such weather would prevail until September. --Antara