Agriculture Minister Attributes Extreme Drought to Gorilla El Nino

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman stated that the country is currently grappling with an unusual El Nino phenomenon, dubbed Gorilla El Nino, which causes huge impacts on domestic food production.

“This El Nino is not like the usual El Nino, not a super one, but Gorilla El Nino and this is the biggest one. It will last until February. This is terrible,” Amran said in a hearing with the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission IV, at the Senayan Parliament, Central Jakarta, on Monday, November 10, 2023.

Gorilla El Nino refers to the phenomenon of high temperatures at about 3.5 degrees Celsius above normal temperatures. 

Amran said the El Nino led to the decline in rice production from 31 million tons in 2022 to 30 million tons in 2023. This condition has also been exacerbated by the ongoing geopolitical conflict.

“Complex challenges such as El Nino have an impact on the decline in production, plus the geopolitical conflicts that cause disruption to food distribution, and export restrictions imposed by food producers,” Amran added.

Amran said that the Agriculture Ministry has made diverse efforts to mitigate the effects of El Nino. One of them is that the ministry deployed personnel to ensure an adequate supply of water for irrigation in the regions.

YOHANES MAHARSO JOHARSOYO

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