Badung sets 42 hectares for chili planting, targets 420 tons

Badung — — Badung’s Agriculture and Food Agency is preparing a phased chili planting program over 42 hectares across three farming districts through December 2026, aiming for a total output of around 420 tons to shore up supplies during the rainy season, according to local officials and media reports.

The program will be implemented in Mengwi, Abiansemal and Petang, which the agency has identified as core horticultural areas in the regency. In Mengwi, planned chili sites include farmer groups and subak in Penarungan, Baha and other villages, with individual plot sizes ranging from 1 to 4 hectares.

Officials estimate average productivity at about 10 tons per hectare, translating to a projected 420 tons from the full 42-hectare program. Planting is scheduled to start in August 2026 and continue in stages until December, with harvests expected to fall mainly between October and November as the first areas reach maturity.

Initial planting at Subak Lepud

The first planting focus is Subak Lepud in Baha Village, Mengwi, where chili is being developed on roughly 4 hectares. According to the Badung Agriculture and Food Agency, the land is divided into eight munduk, each managing about half a hectare and involving around 10 farmers. In total, about 80 farmers are participating in the Subak Lepud chili block.

Farmers at Subak Lepud are using the Caliber chili variety. Agency representatives reported that production inputs, including seed, fertilizer and plastic mulch, were prepared from late July, with nursery work underway ahead of the main planting dates.

Based on the 10-ton-per-hectare productivity assumption, the 4-hectare Subak Lepud site is projected to produce around 40 tons of chilies. Local officials and media reports state that the harvest from this initial block is expected to reach markets during October and November 2026.

Supply absorption and price stability

The chili development program is part of Badung’s efforts to maintain food availability and dampen price spikes during the rainy season, when chili supply can be volatile. The Agriculture and Food Agency has highlighted previous end-of-year chili programs designed to keep local markets supplied when production in other areas falls.

To support farm-gate price stability, the regency administration has prepared a mechanism for absorbing harvests from the new chili plots, with a regional market and food enterprise, Perumda Pasar dan Pangan Mangu Giri Sedana, positioned as an official buyer for part of the crop. Other volumes are expected to move through traditional market channels in Badung and surrounding areas, according to local media coverage of the program.

Officials say the absorption arrangement is intended to prevent price collapses at the farmer level while ensuring enough chili reaches retail markets. However, public statements and local reports do not specify guaranteed purchase volumes, detailed pricing formulas or how much of the 420-ton target Mangu Giri Sedana is expected to take.

Program scale and open details

According to the Agriculture and Food Agency, the 42-hectare chili program is distributed across multiple farmer groups in Mengwi, Abiansemal and Petang, with individual blocks ranging from 1 to 4 hectares. The agency expects production to be staggered, with harvesting times varying by plot depending on when each area is planted.

Recent official information from the regency indicates that chili development programs at the end of the year are designed to cover periods when prices typically rise in December, January and February. The 2026 chili planting is a continuation of this policy approach, building on earlier initiatives that expanded chili rawit cultivation to 45 hectares to bolster supplies and limit price shocks.

Available official and media reports do not yet detail the full planting calendar for each location or the total number of farmers who will participate beyond the 80 growers at Subak Lepud. Budget allocations and financing arrangements for seeds, fertilizer and other inputs also have not been fully disclosed in the public information reviewed.

Program figures reported by local officials:

• Planned chili planting area: 42 hectares across Mengwi, Abiansemal and Petang.
• Projected total production: around 420 tons.
• Assumed productivity: about 10 tons per hectare.
• Initial focus area: 4 hectares at Subak Lepud, Baha Village, Mengwi, involving around 80 farmers.
• Initial projected harvest period: October–November 2026 from Subak Lepud.

Sources

• detik.com Bali – "Badung Siapkan Lahan 42 Hektare untuk Cabai, Targetkan Produksi 420 Ton"
• Balipost – "Antisipasi Kelangkaan Cabai Saat Musim Hujan, Badung ..."
• Badung Regency Government – "Panen Perdana Pengembangan Bawang Merah di Subak Padedekan Angantaka"