"There are 360 pumps in process of installation in the field. We hope it can support farmers' productivity ahead of long, dry, hot, and heat waves in this dry season," he informed on the sidelines of his working visit on Thursday.
He said that the pumping program in South Sulawesi will continue during the rainy weather as a form of preparation for a long dry season.
"Now, we are installing it while it is still raining heavily. It is okay, this is our preparation," he added.
According to Widodo, the hot weather experienced in various parts of the world has triggered drought, resulting in a decline in food productivity in local countries.
"All countries are experiencing drought and decline in rice productivity. We do not want that. This pumping is our effort (to anticipate drought)," he added.
According to him, the agricultural land pumping program is not only being carried out in South Sulawesi, but also rice barns in Central Java, West Java, East Java, Lampung, and other agricultural production areas.
Widodo earlier asked the Ministry of Agriculture to allocate 70 thousand pumps to support the irrigation of rice fields and agricultural activities to mitigate the drought that has been predicted from July to October 2024 in Indonesia.
The President confirmed that the Ministry of Agriculture will try to meet the overall pump needs to ensure that all production areas are covered.
Earlier, Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman also urged regional governments to act promptly in anticipating the global food crisis.
Sulaiman said that regional governments must ensure the implementation of the pumping program. Regional agriculture offices have also been asked to ensure water availability and report any need for pumping to help the program run smoothly.
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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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