Farmers resort to detergent to kill pests

Farmers resort to detergent to kill pests

SORONG, Irian Jaya (JP): Frustrated by soaring pesticide
prices, farmers in Mariyai village have begun spraying their
paddy stalks with diluted detergent and soap.

"I've been using Rinso (detergent brand) and B-29 soap to kill
pests attacking my plants," said farmer Ansuri. "What am I
supposed to do? I can't afford to buy pesticides!"

A local newspaper, Cenderawasih Pos, reported on Tuesday that
since the economic crisis hit the country in 1997, the price of
pesticides has increased tenfold, from around Rp 9,000 per
package to Rp 90,000 today. Scarcity of transportation to the
remote areas has also been blamed for the price hike.

Ansuri said he and fellow farmers were desperate and saw no
other alternatives. "After experimenting, we found that this
works. Soap and detergent is almost as effective as pesticides,"
he said.

Ansuri said the farmers did not bother to consider whether the
alternative would affect the quality of their crops. "We don't
worry about it," he said.

Locals said that over the past two years, their crops declined
by almost 50 percent because of the pests' attacks.

Ansuri, who transmigrated here from Java 18 years ago, used to
produce about two metric tons of rice every harvest. However,
after the dramatic increase in pesticide prices, the lifting of a
government subsidy also put fertilizers out of reach. He now
considers himself lucky if he can get a one ton harvest.

In December, the government ended its subsidies on
fertilizers, raising the price of urea fertilizer by 150 percent
to Rp 1,115 (14 U.S. cents) per kilogram.

M. Sesa, a farming counselor in the village, confirmed the
farmers' desperation that forced them to use detergents and soap
to protect their plants from pests. "The farmers are having a
really difficult time," he said. (34)