TEMPO.CO, Jember – A total of 25 hectares of tobacco plants owned by farmers at the Jember District died because of heavy rain downpour over the region for the past weeks. "[The plants] belong to farmers at the Tempurejo Sud-District," said Jember Forestry and Plantation Board Director Masykur on Monday, June 3.
Masykur added that the 7-month old tobacco plants died after being flooded by water overflowing from the river. In addition, the rain water kept most part of the plants submerged. "Their drainage was not deep enough," Masykur added.
The board is currently inventorying the tobacco plantation destroyed by the rain in other areas. The downpour over the past month has raised concern among Jember farmers in East Java. The farmers are concerned becase thousands of tobacco plants which they planted in May 2013 are destroyed and dead. "Farmers have to replant or switch to farming rice or other vegetables," said the Jember Kasturi Tobacco Association Chairman Abdurrahman.
MAHBUB DJUNAIDY