Agus Maryono, Banjarnegara – "It's been more than two months since we had side dishes other than boiled vegetables to go with our rice, and only boiled cassava as a snack at most. But we endure it as best we can," said Suwandi, 40, of Watuurip village in Banjarnegara regency, Central Java.
"The most important thing is that our family stays healthy," he said.
Suwandi said he spent at least Rp 5,000 (approximately 55 US cents) on foods such as dried fish, tofu, tempeh and cooking oil. "That doesn't include rice, which costs Rp 5,000 per kilogram now," he said, a sentiment echoed by his wife Rastri, 35.
Rastri says she needs at least Rp 15,000 to cook a full meal that includes vegetables, spices, a kilogram of rice, five pieces of tempeh and a quarter kilogram of cooking oil.
"My husband makes at most Rp 15,000 a day from menial labor, provided he can find work. This money also has to go toward paying the monthly electricity bills and providing pocket money for our children. Basically, life is very harsh now," said Rastri.
To ensure that they can still afford rice and pay for their children's education, they have to skimp on side dishes. "To be able to buy cooking oil and tempeh, much less milk, is such a blessing for us," added Rastri.
Suwandi's family is part of some 400,000 people in Banjarnegara regency who are currently trapped in poverty. Banjarnegara is made up of 20 districts, and lies in an area which is 80 percent hilly. About 90 percent of its population of 1.1 million makes a living through farming.
According to a survey on food and nutrition resilience conducted between January and April, only five of the 20 districts in the regency are not categorized as facing a food crisis, while the rest are prone to severe food shortages.
The latter comprise the districts Pejawaran, Kalibening, Karangkobar, Bawang, Purwonegoro, Mandiraja, Banjarmangu, Pagedongan, Punggelan, Pagentan, Wanayasa, Madukara, Sigaluh, Pandanarum and Banjarnegara.
Those listed in the medium risk category are Susukan, Wanadadi, Rakit and Purworejo Klampok, while Batur district is ranked in the low risk category.
Singgih Haryono, the head of the food resilience division at the Banjarnegara agricultural office, told the media on Tuesday that survey indicators included the agriculture and health sectors and the number of impoverished families, which was the main factor in the list of affected areas.
He said that his office would continue conducting food resilience surveys in the future, especially in relation to agricultural issues, such as cultivation planning and realization, harvest failure, applied technology and low productivity.