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)