Balinese Farmers

Situated near equator, consequently, Bali has two seasons namely dry season and wet season. For centuries, Balinese have taken full advantage of these seasons especially in the field of agriculture. Agriculture in Bali depends highly on the availability of water that greatly affected by the seasons. There is great difference of water availability between the dry and the rainy season to cope, with this Balinese has invented a way or two.

One of many ways that applied by Balinese to cope with this difference is applying three different planting seasons namely Kerta masa, Gadon, and Pabianan, based on the seasons. These planting seasons are regulated using the traditional Balinese calendar, one rotation of these three seasons, usually needs one year of Balinese traditional calendar to complete.

Kerta masa is a planting seasons that starts in the rainy seasons usually around October. During this planting season Balinese usually plant the rapid growing rice. Gadon or kerta gadon is a planting season that starts in the beginning of the dry season usually around February; Balinese usually plant rice. The last planting season is pabianan that usually start at the peak of dry season; Balinese usually plant corn, soybean, or nut.

These planting seasons gives the Balinese farmers full opportunity to continue to farm even in dry season and at the end maximize the output of the agriculture activities in Bali.