KARANGASEM – The people of Tri Eka Buana Village, Sidemen District, Karangasem, whose 90 percent of the people work as arak farmers, feel very happy and grateful for the presence of the Bali Governor Regulation No.1 of 2020 concerning the Management of Fermented Drinks and / or Distillations Typical of Bali which was initiated by the Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster. The joy of the Tri Eka Buana arak farmers overflowed, when Governor Koster was greeted by a farmer who was climbing a coconut tree by calling the Governor of Bali “Pakyan”. Hearing this, Wayan Koster who was accompanied by the Deputy Governor, Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardhana Sukawati (Cok Ace) during a working visit to Tri Eka Buana Village, Saturday (8/8/2020) immediately greeted the farmer by waving his hand.
On arrival at the Tri Eka Buana Village Workshop, the Governor of Bali who presented the Bali Provincial Secretary, Dewa Made Indra, the Chairperson of the Karangasem DPRD, I Gede Dana, and all OPD Heads in the Bali Provincial Government were proud, because the village has a coconut garden that stretches green in the shape of The hills have made rapid progress when implementing the Bali Governor Regulation No.1 of 2020 concerning the Management of Balinese Fermented Drinks and / or Distillations.
“After the enactment of the Bali Governor Regulation No.1 / 2020, arak farmers in Tri Eka Buana Village can be accommodated in the form of a cooperative, and on an average daily income, the farmers get a profit of Rp. 420 thousand (Per liter price of Arak Bali is Rp. 35,000 and every day. produce 12 liters, red) or in a month can reap a profit of up to Rp. 12 million, “said the information conveyed by academics from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Udayana University, I Made Agus Gelgel Wirasuta when accompanied by Perbekel, I Ketut Derka and the Head of KBS Solid Arak Cooperative, I Gede Artayasa.
The main reason why arak farmers get abundant profits, is because according to I Made Agus Gelgel Wirasuta’s statement that the arak farmers in Tri Eka Buana Village are currently using a distillation tool with 4 tiered columns which can save the use of raw materials for arak (Tuak, red).
“Now the farmers only use 40 liters of tuak to produce 12 liters of wine per day. In the past or before the Bali Governor Regulation No.1 / 2020 was born, and before using this distillation device, farmers could only produce 10 liters of wine per day using 60 liters of tuak as raw material, “said Made Gelgel.
This distillation tool with 4 tiered columns has a positive impact, so the development of this tool will continue to be carried out in Telaga Tawang Village, Sidemen District.
Hearing this information, Wayan Koster and his deputy, Cok Ace, immediately asked the Tri Eka Buana Village Headquarters, I Ketut Derka to be more serious in working on the production of this typical Sidemen Arak, Karangasem. Because the Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster, wants to align Arak Bali with spirit drinks that exist in the world, such as Whiskey, Vodka, and Sake. Moreover, Bali Arak during the Covid-19 pandemic has been used as a therapeutic drug that has succeeded in curing people without symptoms who have been confirmed positive for Covid-19. “I asked Mr. Gelgel to do a trial at the Covid quarantine, and it turns out that this wine has an effect on treating positive patients, and the cure rate is getting higher, reaching 87 percent in Bali,” said the ITB graduate Governor.
Koster admitted that he is currently trying to apply for this Balinese Arak to the Indonesian Ministry of Law and Human Rights to obtain a patent right as Traditional Usada (Traditional Medicine, red) and so that it can be produced to cure or strengthen the immune system of patients affected by Covid, or other viruses. Then economically, Wayan Koster also revealed that Arak Bali will be one of Bali’s leading export products. To make it happen, the Governor of Bali asked all people on the Island of the Gods to unite to develop the potential of Arak Bali from the upstream, starting with the way to restore Jaka, Coconut and Ental trees, which in fact are able to produce the famous Arak drink in Bali.
In the concept of empowering the Balinese people, the Governor who is the Chairperson of the PDI Perjuangan DPD Bali Province clearly wants to implement the Bung Karno Tri Sakti Program, one of which is to create economic independence or an independent economy whose roots are people’s sovereignty.
So that sustainable economic empowerment based on culture in accordance with the vision of Nangun Sat Kerthi Loka Bali through the Universal Development Pattern Planned Towards a New Era of Bali will continue to be felt by the community.
“So Balinese krama must manage this Arak Cooperative, Balinese krama must also manage this Arak company by providing Barak” Balinese Arak “packaging, we emphasize this so that Balinese krama will really feel the benefits economically, especially since BPOM has also fully supported and even there are 4 companies that have obtained distribution permits from BPOM. If it is for export interests, then the Government will involve investors, ”said Koster.
He invites farmers to slightly increase the price of Arak while maintaining the quality of taste, the distinctive aroma of Bali, because Bali also currently has the Bali Governor Regulation Number 99 of 2018 concerning Marketing and Utilization of Agricultural Products, Fisheries and Bali Local Industry which can be used as capital in advancing the Balinese heritage beverage industry.
Editor – Igo Kleden
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