Nurni Sulaiman, Balikpapan, East Kalimantan – Around 150 farmers living in Bangun Rejo village, Kutai Kartanegara regency, blocked the road access to coal firm PT Kitadin on Thursday to protest against activities stopping farmers from harvesting.

The protesters, who transmigrated from Blitar, East Java, in 1981, said mining activities had caused a build up of sediment in the river, whose water they relied mostly on to irrigate their rice fields. The blockade took place from 8.30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

"Our rice fields failed to yield four times as the river could no longer irrigate our 150-hectare fields," one of the farmers, Mislan, told The Jakarta Post.

He added the company had promised to help the farmers secure water but the promise never materialized.

The protest ended after farmer representatives and the firm agreed to hold talks to settle the issue.