Ministry: Rice Stock Sufficient despite Increasing Crop Failure
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9 July 2019 12:38 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Director General of Food Crops of Agriculture Ministry, Gatot Irianto, assured the crop failure or locally known sawah puso during this year’s dry season will not decrease national stock rice.
“The price of rice is cheap now, [the stock] still sufficient. The crop failure happens in a really small area,” said Gatot in the ministry office, Jakarta, Monday, July 8.
The ministry recorded drought hit 102,746 hectares of rice fields and 9,358 hectares of which failed to produce crops. The area suffered crop failure was relatively small as it did not reach 3 percent or some 450,000 hectares from the total planting area a year at 15 million hectares per 2018.
Previously, the ministry noted 100 regencies or cities affected by drought across Banten, West Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta, East Java, West Nusa Tenggara, and East Nusa Tenggara.
East Java is the worst province hit by the drought up to 34,006 hectares with crop failure up to 5,069 hectares.
Gatot explained the drought mitigation measure in 2019 would be different than that of previous years considering the ministry developed areas with a potential wetland that amounted to 670,000 hectares.
“Adaption of drought in swamp areas hit by dryness will bring more surplus and improve productivity,” he added.
Moreover, the ministry would irrigate the dry fields to anticipate crop failures, optimize nearby water sources (river, lake, retention basin), revamp water lanes, and build artesian well.
ANTARA
