Bali’s Rice paddies have been its oldest and biggest drawcards since centuries. But the beautiful green stretches of paddy fields are seriously under threat of late as increasing numbers of farmers are selling off their picturesque rice paddies to real estate developers, as per a media report.
This tragic situation prevails as rice growers are instead turning to more lucrative jobs in tourism and other industries. However, one man is trying to keep the thousand-year-old tradition alive —-Chakra Widia.
According to Chakra Widia, who runs a not-for-profit organisation ‘Tri Hita Karana’, seeing the island's famous rice fields is a must for most first time visitors. But, the arrival of tourists also leads to the requirement for real estate development to providing facilities for them.
So at present, huge buildings right in the middle of paddy fields are a common sight in Bali. Massive villas and hotels for tourists have been coming up in great numbers. And for the rice growers, the temptation to sell their farms is often too great as they have been struggling with a measly daily income.
Saying that ‘there's a wave happening’ in Bali, Widia points out that farmers were leaving their farms because they make very little money. They are now working as teachers, drivers for tourists, and also in construction fields.
There’s going be no more Bali if there are no more rice fields, he warns.
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