Anticipation the Impact of El Nino, Minister of Agriculture: Stock Food Still Safe No Need to Import
Minister of Agriculture, Amran Sulaiman
Minister of Agriculture, Amran Sulaiman argued that the Ministry of Agriculture already anticipating the impact of El Nino early since January, to build tertiary irrigation, until now already 1.3 million hectares. Then there are pumps of approximately 21 thousand units.
“As we anticipated are the months from September to October. However, we have done the steps of anticipation as pumping, reservoir, trenches dam, and shallow wells, “said Amran told reporters after attending a limited cabinet meeting which discussed issues regarding the impact of El Nino, in the President’s office, Jakarta, Thursday (6/8) afternoon.
Anticipative measures, Minister of Agriculture said that all already running. Physically, this time for tertiary irrigation of 1.3 million hectares. The pumps has also been handed over to the farmers.
According to Minister of Agriculture, Indonesia endemic drought covers an area of 200 thousand hectares. Last year, about 159 thousand hectares of drought, floods, and pests. This year, because there is anticipation early, then formed a special team, that is Upsus (Special Effort), we managed to save approximately of 100 thousand hectares.
Minister of Agriculture hoped, with already done various steps to anticipate the El Nino, rice production is projected to reach 75.5 million tons, according to the forecast figures Central Statistics Agency (BPS).
Minister of Agriculture said, Meteorological, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG) has been explained at the end of October already raining. “So hopefully dry season only until October, he said.
According to Minister of Agriculture, areas that roughly would still suffer from drought are West Java: Indramayu, Cirebon. Central Java: Demak, Pati, Grobogan. East Java: Bojonegoro; and NTT: South Central Timor.
Regarding the food stocks for the next few months, Minister of Agriculture Amran Sulaiman, convince that are safe, amounting to 1.5 million tons. “The stock is considered safe so it does not need to be imported, because import is the last option,” Minister of Agriculture said.
. (DND/DNS/ES)
