REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The government claimed that El Nino climate anomalies will not disturb food supplies yet, in Indonesia. President Joko Widodo said that the impact of El Nino that can bring drought and harvest failure, is not significantly seen.
Through his visit to East Java last week, Jokowi saw that the rice fields in that province are still fine. Even East Java is predicted to begin the harvest in September. Similar condition was also happened in South Sulawesi.
“When I visited South Sulawesi, I saw that there was no problem in rice production. The farmers will also begin the harvest in September,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Agriculture, Amran Sulaiman, said that he has anticipated the impact of El Nino. Indonesia has 200 thousand hectares of endemic drought.
However, the anticipation was able to save 100 thousand hectares of endemic drought. The Ministry of Agriculture was building 1,3 million hectares of tertiary irrigation and also spreading 21 water pumps.
Nevertheless, the government remains wary of the El Nino effects. It was predicted to be strengthened in September and October.
He continued, the area that has experienced drought were in Indramayu, Cirebon, Demak, Pati, Grobogan, Bojonegoro and Timur Tengah Selatan
“The stock of rice is still safe. There were 2,5 million tons of rice until the end of October,” he explained.
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