Riani Sanusi Putri, Jakarta – Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo reported on the effects of extreme drought caused by El Nino in Indonesia. The minister said rice production was reduced by 5 percent amid the phenomenon.
"Based on our data analysis, [this year's] El Nino has a very high capacity, we lost 1.2 million tonnes of rice," Syahrul said in South Jakarta on Wednesday, August 30, 2023.
The Agriculture Ministry noted that drought has affected 870,000 hectares of land. In response to that data, the ministry will intensify the use of 500 hectares of rice fields.
The intensification program will commence across ten provinces and 100 regencies in Indonesia. The program, said Syahrul, will increase the harvest index to 300. Thus, the rice fields are estimated to produce 3 million tonnes of unhulled rice.
"The data shows that rains are still falling, and the water reserves in Bengawam Solo and Brantas are still adequate, meaning [water] is not yet significantly affected [by El Nino]," he said.
In addition to land use intensification, the ministry also increased the number of agricultural tools to accelerate planting. The Agriculture Ministry also increased water supply by developing and repairing retention basins, furrows, wells, tertiary irrigation networks, and water pumps.
The government also plans to distribute drought-resistant seeds and conduct the 1,000 hectares of land program for every regency to mitigate the effects of El Nino.