Indonesia: El Nino still spells disaster in East Nusa Tenggara

Antara 22 Jan 16;

Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA News) - The weather phenomenon El Nino still spells disaster in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) with widespread harvest failure and livestock dying from starvation.

Not only food crop but also thousand of livestock are facing the impact of serious depletion of life giving water after long unending drought in the province.

"El Nino has caused not only harvest failure in millions of hectares of farm lands but it could be the end of the world for tens of thousands of livestock in the middle of dry and empty grazing fields," village chief said.

Nian village chief in the sub-district of Miomaffo Tengah in the regency of Timor Tengah Utara Agustinus Toan said the grazing field which is normally green in January is now barren.

In Sumba Timur livestock farmers also almost lost hope how to feed their livestock as fodder is no longer easily available in the fields. Hundreds of cattle are already died from starvation, Tanaraing village chief Umbu Hia Hamataki said.

Farmers have to sell their cattle at cheap prices rather than letting them die wasted in the field.

"Before they die we sell them to traders at Rp500,000 up to Rp1 million one," a local farmer said.(*)