12-13 July : Field Survey

Kutuh Village is known by people as a village who produced high quality cottonii seaweed for many years. At the time between 2003-2008 was the most succesful years for Desa Kutuh. Seaweed quality was so high it has a very high price also. But unfortunately, for the last three years, the quantity of the product was degrading. What happen actually? To answer this question we went again to the beach (the seaweed planting area), the organization of farmer, and women farmer organization.

One view of Seaweed Planting Area, here you could see that the water level was degrading, so you can see the coral there. It makes the work of planting and harvesting easier.

Here, Bu Made, one of the farmer there, is “sunbathing” the seaweed. Making it dry of course. The smell of the drying seaweed was so –_____- I don’t literalli like it anyway.

A side view where you can see the “Bedeng” used by farmer to store the dried seaweed and taking a rest after work. They are not actually live there, only as a workplace.

Here you can see “Jukung”, another form of rectangle-canoe that usually be ridden in low-water-level. Has more stability and more space for storage.

This is just some woods that farmer used to dry the seaweed.

Bu Made is one of local people who did seaweed planting as the daily work. Not many differences as we heard from another local farmer. The problem of having a sufficient capital and the “damned” low price of dried seaweed. To start planting the seaweed she said that a farmer will need about 20-25 millions rupiah. The problem of low price of dried seaweed is that they have to accept the price from the buyer. Price was not moving in equilibrium way so that it sickening the farmer.

If we see the problem more, we will know that the quality of the seaweed is not degrading, only the quantity. It means if they can turn their luck on buyer and making a user-end product, they will have a higher return, theoretically. It has been realized by the Women Farmer’s Association where they tried to create Jelly Drink, Pudding, and Seaweed Mix Ice.

If you ever tasted Okky Jelly Drink, the jelly drink is plus minus looks like that, but still has minus point with no plus point. The pudding itself just look like Agar-agar, nothing really special to attract consumer. The Seaweed Mix Ice is the one that we cannot see since the seller said the weather was so cold so no one will buy it anyway –____-

Her you could see the “showroom” of the Koperasi Sari Segara. It provides the daily needs of the farmer and also the production thing such as rope, net, and sack.

Bu Oka, the shopkeeper and her son Kadek.

The Sri Rahayu Jelly Drink

The looks of the trademark of Sri Rahayu Jelly Drink.

Crackers (they called it like that, no protest please)

Many things still need to be done here. Many. No holiday yet I think –____-.