"We are immediately evaluating the 2026 production targets, which were drafted before the floods hit in late November 2025," Head of Food Crops at Aceh Agriculture and Plantation Office, Safrizal, said in Banda Aceh, Aceh, on Wednesday.
He explained that the 2026 targets had initially been finalized in collaboration with local district and city governments between September and October 2025.
Under the original projections, Aceh aimed to produce 1.8 million tons of milled dry grain, equivalent to 1.15 million tons of rice.
The target was based on an expected planting area of 352,676 hectares and a total harvest area of 335,042 hectares, with a projected productivity rate of 5.5 tons per hectare.
“We made those plans assuming favorable conditions. No one could have predicted a disaster of this magnitude,” he said.
He noted that floods and landslides in Aceh caused damage ranging from minor to severe, with approximately 56,600 hectares of rice fields affected, according to the provincial disaster command post.
Of that figure, 27,000 hectares have been declared a total loss, meaning the fields were submerged and could not be harvested.
Safrizal added that severely damaged rice fields cannot be used for production in the near future, thereby affecting the previously set targets.
“Since many rice fields are damaged, we are recalculating our production targets. We are currently evaluating them in coordination with district and city governments to rationalize our targets,” he said.
He also expressed hope that local governments would prevent the conversion of rice fields into residential or commercial areas.
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Translator: Rahmat Fajri, Raka Adji
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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