The step is part of the government's mitigation measures against drought, which has been predicted from July to October 2024.
"Many countries that previously exported rice decided to use it for themselves," he said after reviewing the water pumping program in Bapeang village, East Kotawaringin district, Central Kalimantan, on Wednesday.
He noted that the assistance is important to anticipate a decline in national rice production amid heatwaves and long droughts in other countries.
He said that the pump assistance quota will be increased from 20 thousand pumps to 70 thousand pumps, which will be distributed to rice producing regions in Indonesia that are at risk of being affected by heatwaves.
In East Kotawaringin in particular, the government has distributed 31 pumps, which can currently irrigate just 435 hectares out of the total 7,600 hectares of potential rain-fed rice fields in the district.
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The President said that the Ministry of Agriculture will try to meet the overall pump needs to ensure that the needs of all areas can be met.
The press, media, and information bureau of the Presidential Secretariat in Jakarta informed that the President and his entourage reviewed the implementation of the water pump assistance program in Bapeang village, East Kotawaringin, on Wednesday.
During the review, he interacted directly with local farmers. The farmers affirmed that water pumps could help increase harvest frequency.
The President noted that in the future, East Kotawaringin will play an important role as one of the supporters of food for Indonesia's new capital Nusantara, which is located in East Kalimantan.
He said that if the rice production in the district increases, the surplus will be sent to the new capital.
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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Raka Adji
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
Copyright © ANTARA 2024
