Twelve new springs appear around Buyan Lake, Bali

Antara 19 Apr 08;

Denpasar (ANTARA News) - At least 12 new springs have appeared suddenly around Buyan Lake, Buleleng District, which is located around 55 km north of Denpasar.

Local farmers are now using water from the new springs for irrigation, Bali provincial forestry service head Made Sulendra said here on Saturday.

Some 4.93 sq km wide Buyan Lake is one of four lakes on Bali Island which have become tourist attractions.

Sulendra said it was believed the new springs had formed thanks to the massive regreening programs launched by the Bali provincial administration last year. Bali planted at least seven million trees last year, including in areas surrounding Buyan Lake. (*)

Farmers in Banyumas turn to organic fertilizer
Antara 19 Apr 08;

Banyumas (ANTARA News) - A number of farmers in Banyumas district, Central Java, have started using organic fertilizer after finding out that it can increase their paddy crop.

"Unlike non-organic fertilizer, organic fertilizer can increase paddy crop," Suwarto (61), a farmer in Kemutung Lor village in Baturaden sub district, said on Saturday.

Suwarto admitted he had used organic fertilizer for two seasons and the result was satisfactory.

He started to use organic fertilizer after he had been advised by agriculture counselors and a team from Purwokerto Muhammadiyah University to do so.

The farmer added that when he used non-organic fertilizer on 0.25 hectares of his rice field, the got only 5 kilograms of paddy but when he turned to organic fertilizer, he got 5.5 kilograms of paddy.

He said after finding out that the result was satisfactory, a number of his colleagues started to follow his example in using organic fertilizer.

"Their eagerness to use organic fertilizer is not only because its result is satisfactory but also because it is more efficient and less expensive in comparison with no-organic fertilizer," Suwarto said. (*)