"The hope is that we can carry out harvest two to three times a year. Currently, we can only harvest once," said Setu Wibowo, one of the farmers of Krendowahono village.
Isal, a farmer from Bone district, South Sulawesi, said that the need for water is very urgent because rain has not come to his area to irrigate his rice field in the highland.
Therefore, he is grateful that the government has intervened at the right time with its water pumping program to meet water needs in the area.
Pumping is a rice field irrigation program that involves installing a piping system to channel water from certain sources to agricultural lands to ensure water availability during the dry season.
With water pumping, farmers can depend on additional irrigation, when the need arises, to prevent plants from experiencing water shortage, increase soil fertility, and maintain the quality of yields. These are important to maintain food availability, which affects price stability in markets.
Climate change is a big challenge for the national agriculture sector. As an agricultural country, Indonesia has great potential in the agricultural sector but often faces challenges such as climate change, drought, and uneven water distribution because the existing traditional irrigation systems are often inadequate and depend on weather conditions.
With the water pumping initiative, water is pumped from the nearest water sources, such as rivers, lakes, or boreholes, to agricultural lands, thereby reducing dependence on rainfall.
Pump distribution
The government is currently intensively distributing pumps to regions across the country with the goal of supporting farmers so that they can carry out production activities throughout the seasons and the target of boosting national production can be achieved.
The government has distributed at least 25 thousand pumps to a number of agricultural lands out of the planned 75 thousand.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture's calculations, the pumps that have been distributed can irrigate around 500 hectares of land at least. As per calculations, 500 thousand hectares of land can be used to produce 2.5–5.0 million tons of rice, with average yield of 5–10 tons per hectare.
This could certainly help cut imports. As per records, the realization of rice imports from January to May 2024 reached 2.2 million tons.
President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has expressed optimism that the pumping program will bring significant benefits, especially in terms of national food production, considering that currently, many countries are experiencing a decline in rice production due to drought.
According to him, many countries that previously exported rice are currently using their rice to meet domestic demand.
Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said that the pumping program is the only quick solution to tackle the impacts of the dry season this year.
The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) earlier predicted heatwaves and drought in July, August, September, and October this year.
Therefore, Sulaiman expressed the hope that the pumping initiative would not only tackle the issue of lack of water supply during the dry season, but also boost productivity and the planting index in upcoming seasons so that the welfare of farmers can improve.
This is expected to have a multiplier effect on the rural economy. When farmers have more stable or higher incomes, they are likely to access more advanced agricultural technology, which, in turn, can increase the efficiency and continuity of agricultural production.
Government efforts
To optimize the pumping program, the Ministry of Agriculture is moving swiftly to step up collaboration with governors and district heads so that dry rice fields can be cultivated without delay.
Cooperation with regional governments is important to ensure that water pumps are distributed accurately and in keeping with the needs of regions.
Home Affairs Minister Muhammad Tito Karnavian has asked regional governments to directly check pumps that have been distributed by the Agriculture Ministry. He stressed that the pumps should provide big benefits in terms of national food production.
The Ministry of Agriculture is also coordinating with other ministries and agencies, including the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing, to strengthen the program.
The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing also has a key role in providing the infrastructure needed for the pumping program.
Minister Sulaiman affirmed that he has coordinated with Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono to help optimize agricultural water by improving irrigation in several areas.
In addition to distributing pumps, the Ministry of Agriculture is also providing training and technical guidance to farmers on how to operate the pumps effectively and efficiently, including good water management.
The ministry is conducting regular monitoring and evaluation of the use of water pumps to ensure the program runs according to plan and provides maximum benefits.
With continuous support from the government and the active participation of farmers, the water pumping program can be an important pillar in ensuring sufficient and sustainable food availability for Indonesia.
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Translator: Zubi Mahrofi, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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