As dark clouds gather in the morning sky, Indonesian apple farmer Ali Akhbar hurries to finish spraying pesticides onto his trees before yet another afternoon downpour.
As dark clouds gathered in the morning sky, Indonesian apple farmer Ali Akhbar hurried to finish spraying pesticides onto his trees before yet another afternoon downpour.
It was officially the start of the dry season in East Java Province, but non-stop rains caused havoc for thousands of apple growers such as Akhbar again this year upsetting the flowering season, damaging blossoms and shrinking harvests.
The unseasonable weather has also caused an increase in pests and diseases, forcing some growers to take out loans to keep up with the surging cost of pesticides, to ensure that years of work do not go