Lampung shrimp farmers work independently

Lampung shrimp farmers work independently

The Jakarta Post, Bandar Lampung | Tue, 02/11/2014 5:35 AM | Archipelago

Three years after severing ties with PT Central Prima Protein (CPP), hundreds of shrimp farmers in Bumi Dipasena, Tulang Bawang regency, Lampung, have begun to cultivate shrimp independently.
Many circles have doubted the ability of the farmers to manage the shrimp farm in the northern coast of Lampung.
The farmers in Bumi Dipasena showed their ability as independent
farmers by purchasing an excavator worth Rp 2 billion (US$164,300) using their own funds.

“We bought the excavator with cash set aside by members of the Tiger Prawn Plasma Farmers Association [P3UW]. The excavator will later be used to restore the Bumi Dipasena hatchery,” said P3UW head Nafian Faiz.

The shrimp farmers have also improved the infrastructure in Bumi Dipasena without assistance from PT CPP.

“There are lots of changes in Bumi Dipasena, be they the roads repaired by the Tulang Bawang regency administration or concrete bridges built independently by friends. Thanks to the excavator, we will be able to upgrade hatchery, which has so far been neglected,” said Nafian.

He added the shrimp farmers had hoped that PT CPP would revamp the shrimp farm, but it never happened. Instead, a long-running dispute between the farmers and the company took place in which several people were killed.

Source: http://m.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/02/11/lampung-shrimp-farmers-work-independently.html