More Economical: A Village Chief's Calculation of Growing Rice in Used Water Cooler Bottles vs. Paddy Fields

Susanto (44), the village chief of Dukuh Ngelorejo, Gari, Wonosari, Gunungkidul, has adopted a method of planting rice in used water cooler bottles in his yard, claiming it is far more economical than traditional paddy field cultivation. Santo Mboso, as he is affectionately known, said he was inspired to farm using used bottles because he had an idle yard. He was also inspired by a post from Gunungkidul Regent Endah Subekti Kuntarini. Unexpectedly, his crops also grew well. “I want to educate the public that they can farm with minimal costs, especially rice. For example, I have a 10-square-metre plot of land with an estimated 1,000 bottles. By calculation, buying a 10-square-metre paddy field costs IDR 15-20 million. But with bottles costing IDR 2 million, and soil costing, say, IDR 1 million, it is very affordable,” Susanto told detikJogja on Monday (29/6/2026). The costs he incurred for planting rice in used bottles can be further reduced by utilising leftover soil, obtaining used bottles from neighbours or friends, and not needing to water the plants daily. “I started looking for bottles everywhere, from asking for them, buying them, to being given them. I eventually collected 1,200 bottles in four months,” he said. “Furthermore, watering is not done every day and I choose to use a hose. Why? So it becomes a lesson for the community that farming can be done with minimal funds,” Santo continued. Santo revealed he began planting Ciherang rice at the end of March 2026 and has already had a harvest. “Some have already been harvested, yesterday the Regent did the harvesting. The amount is roughly one ounce per bottle, but I will sample the quantity again. The harvest results were good, perhaps because of good fertiliser control and effective pest prevention,” he said. Santo is increasingly enthusiastic about farming using used bottles. His efforts are now beginning to be followed by residents in his village who are starting to plant using used bottles. “Going forward, I will keep planting rice, but I want to plant all kinds of vegetables so I have a living kitchen. Besides that, I want to add another 1,000 bottles, but gradually, because finding that many bottles takes time,” he explained.