Development of local rice on the Tabanan regency of Bali

This chapter surveys the cultivation of local rice varieties in the nine regencies of Bali, with a primary focus on the Tabanan Regency. It discusses the farming system of the region and the way in which rice is marketed. The chapter looks at the cultural role of traditional rice cultivation in Bali. It discusses the way in which farmers’ rights under the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture has been adopted by Indonesian legislation. The chapter also looks at the contribution which rice marketing makes to the Balinese agricultural sector, particularly export opportunities. The contribution which the replacement of white rice by red rice to health and nutrition is examined and the research on local rice in Bali is reviewed, including research into genetic erosion, drought stress and the response of rice genotypes to zinc fertilizer and mutation breeding studies on several Bali local rice varieties. The chapter concludes with a consideration of the potential for agriculture-based tourism in Bali.