“Now is the time to rehabilitate rice fields, irrigation and supporting facilities,” Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said during an inspection in Pinto Makmur Village, North Aceh, on Thursday.
Sulaiman said reports showed damage across the three provinces totaled about 100,000 hectares, and the government would address all affected areas to restore agricultural productivity as quickly as possible.
He said the government had entered a rehabilitation phase covering rice fields, irrigation systems and other facilities, with work prioritized from lightly to severely damaged land to maximize recovery efficiency.
About 90 percent to 95 percent of lightly and moderately affected land is targeted for immediate restoration, with farmers receiving free seed assistance to allow replanting within the normal planting calendar.
The rehabilitation is being implemented through labor-intensive programs that directly involve landowners and local residents, with daily wages paid by the central government to create temporary rural employment.
“With around 10,000 hectares affected, rehabilitation requires roughly 200,000 man-days of work. Workers are paid daily,” Sulaiman said, outlining the scale of labor needed.
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He added that technical officials and relevant directorates had been instructed to remain on standby in Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra until rehabilitation work is completed.
Ministry data show floods and landslides affected 54,233 hectares of rice fields in Aceh across 21 districts and cities, including 23,893 hectares lightly damaged, 8,759 moderately damaged and 21,851 severely damaged.
In North Sumatra, 37,318 hectares were affected, comprising 22,274 hectares lightly damaged, 10,690 moderately damaged and 4,354 severely damaged, according to the ministry.
West Sumatra recorded damage to 6,451 hectares of rice fields, including 2,802 hectares lightly damaged, 822 moderately damaged and 2,827 severely damaged.
The initial rehabilitation phase covered more than 13,700 hectares across the three provinces, with work beginning in priority areas most critical for restoring near-term food production.
During the initial rehabilitation and replanting phase, the ministry deployed 43 units of agricultural machinery, ranging from tractors to drones, and distributed 200 tons of urea fertilizer to affected farmers.
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Translator: Muhammad Harianto, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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