FGD on the Development of Bali Local Grapes: Pushing for Seedless Varieties and Global Competitiveness

• Posted by: Admin
• Rabu, 11 Juni 2025
• Has been read 16 time(s)

Denpasar – In an effort to strengthen the competitiveness and sustainability of local horticultural commodities, the Regional Research and Innovation Agency (BRIDA) of Bali Province, in collaboration with Udayana University, held a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on "Development Study of Seedless Local Bali Grape Varieties" on Wednesday (June 11, 2025) at the Agrokompleks Building, Sudirman Campus, Denpasar. The discussion brought together stakeholders including researchers, academics, government agencies, and local grape farmers. The event was opened by Ir. I Nyoman Suarta, M.Si., representing the Head of BRIDA Bali, and Prof. Ir. Ni Made Ary Esta Dewi Wirastuti, Ph.D., from Udayana University’s LPPM.

 

Keynote speaker Prof. Dr. Ir. Rindang Dwiyani, M.Sc. explained that Bali’s local grape varieties still face several challenges, particularly their lack of sweetness and the presence of seeds. Her research showed promising results using gibberellic acid (GA3) and bamboo shoot extract to induce seedlessness. “We have found a treatment that successfully produces seedless grapes with increased sweetness. Our next focus is to increase the fruit size,” she said.

 

Meanwhile, Prof. Ir. I Made Supartha Utama, Ph.D., emphasized the need to build the competitiveness of Bali grapes through a systemic approach that includes product differentiation, production efficiency, and market responsiveness. “If we want to compete with imported grapes, quality, marketing, and innovation must go hand in hand,” he stated.

 

Farmers including Dr. Putu Suwardika and Gede Bendesa highlighted urgent issues such as the lack of quality planting materials, unstable selling prices, and the need for government support in pest control and market access.

 

The ongoing research is expected to be completed by August 2025 and will proceed with field trials. BRIDA Bali hopes that the findings will be widely adopted by farmers and help introduce the seedless Bali grape variant to modern markets, how importance of maintaining the local identity of “Bali Grapes” while enhancing their quality and market acceptance. Cross-sector collaboration is seen as key to developing Bali’s local grapes into a future flagship commodity.