FINNS Bali Visits Manikaji Dryland Regenerative Agriculture Program
On 28 October, FINNS Bali, who sponsor EBPP's Manikaji dryland regenerative agriculture program, visited the projects in Manikaji Kaliaga, Manikaji Puncak and Manikaji Asti to review the progress.
Their key focus was to observe the farmers' land during the dry season and check the chickens in the 3 newly established coops, an integral part of the regenerative agriculture system. They were pleased to see that all the chickens are growing well, even though they still need more time before they start laying eggs for the farmers' daily consumption.
The visit also gave FINNS Bali a chance to see the challenges our farmers face: the extremely dry land where few plants can survive, and most of the grass has withered, showing how difficult it is to grow food in Manikaji during the dry season.
This is why the program matters. By applying regenerative agriculture practices suited to dryland conditions, we can eventually improve soil fertility to make the land more productive throughout the year. However, this will take time and continued effort, making ongoing support next year important.
One highlight was enjoying fresh tomatoes from Pak Sudana's garden (head of Manikaji Puncak farmers group)! Thanks to his hard work, his tomato plants are still producing fruit while many other plants have dried up. It reminds us that building productive dryland farms is possible, but requires time, knowledge, dedication and continued support.
Thank you, FINNS Bali, for visiting our farmers and continuing to support regenerative agriculture in Manikaji.
By: Komang Kurniawan, EBPP Team Leader
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