The rice paddies in Jorong Batu Palano, Nagari Salayo, Kubung\nDistrict, Solok Regency, were green again on Monday morning, 25 May\n2026. In some plots, rice had turned yellow and was being harvested by\nlocals.<\/p>\n
Six months earlier, the area was covered in sand, mud, and tree\ntrunks following flash floods that struck three provinces in Sumatra in\nlate November 2025. Irrigation systems were damaged, water flow was\nirregular, and some farmers feared prolonged loss of the planting\nseason.<\/p>\n
However, Solok acted swiftly. Within months, the rice fields were\nbeing cultivated again. Farmers resumed planting, with some even\nenjoying their first harvest since late April.<\/p>\n
Data from the Disaster Recovery and Reconstruction Acceleration Task\nForce (Satgas PRR) for Sumatra noted Solok Regency as the fastest in\nrice field rehabilitation progress in West Sumatra. By mid-May 2026,\napproximately 1,323 hectares had been restored, equivalent to 88% of the\ntarget for affected fields.<\/p>\n
The acceleration was driven by coordination between Satgas PRR and\nlocal government, agricultural extension workers, farmer groups, and\ncommunity initiative to quickly restore their land.<\/p>\n
This spirit aligns with Satgas PRR head Tito Karnavian\u2019s emphasis on\nthe urgency of restoring rice fields for local economic recovery. \u201cThis\nis urgent; therefore, funding is provided by ministries and agencies,\u201d\nTito said. \u201cThese lands must regain productivity so communities can\nresume farming and the local economy can restart.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Salayo\u2019s residents, rehabilitating rice fields is more than just\nrepairing agricultural land. They raced against time to prevent the\nplanting season from being lost too long. When rice fields stop\nproducing, family economies inevitably stall. Thus, residents chose to\nrestore their land as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n
The rehabilitated rice fields in Jorong Batu Palano, Nagari Salayo,\nKubung District, Solok Regency, West Sumatra, were harvested on Monday,\n25 May 2026. The land, previously buried under sand due to a mudslide in\nlate 2025, has resumed productivity thanks to community and local\ngovernment cooperation.<\/p>\n
Melati, 45, a farmer from the Sejuk dan Damai Farmer Group,\nacknowledged this. \u201cWe didn\u2019t want the fields buried for too long. After\nthe disaster, repairs began immediately, even while seeking our own\nfunds,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She pointed to an area previously covered in thick sand. Now part of\nthe rice was harvested. \u201cSince groundbreaking in January, it was\nharvested four months later,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
Melati is part of the Sejuk dan Damai Farmer Group, which has 27\nmembers. They rehabilitated 35 hectares of rice fields. Melati\u2019s land\nwas classified as lightly damaged.<\/p>\n
Satgas PRR deployed excavators at various points to clear mud and\nsand deposits. Residents then cooperated to level the soil, repair\nbunds, and restore normal water flow. \u201cWe couldn\u2019t rely solely on\nexcavators. Residents also worked,\u201d Melati said.<\/p>\n
The collected sand was sold to fund independent rehabilitation\nefforts. \u201cWhile the fields were unusable, we dug out sand from the land.\nSome could be sold,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n
Community involvement was key to Solok\u2019s rapid rehabilitation. After\nheavy machinery removed large deposits, farmers continued manual work\nalmost daily for weeks.<\/p>\n
In addition to machinery assistance, the central government provided\nIDR 4.5 million per hectare for lightly damaged fields. Farmers used\nthis for machinery and land preparation costs. There was also an\nadditional IDR 900,000 per hectare for land processing.<\/p>\n
According to Melati, government aid arrived relatively quickly. The\ndisaster occurred in late November 2025, with aid starting in\nmid-January 2026. \u201cThe government\u2019s attention was swift. Residents also\nresponded quickly because the local economy depends on farming,\u201d she\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The swift response allowed some land to be replanted within a month.\nFarmers began planting again in early February 2026, with the first\nharvest two months later.<\/p>\n
For Salayo\u2019s residents, the first harvest signalled the revival of\ntheir rice fields. Solok\u2019s farmers\u2019 rapid recovery efforts now serve as\nan example of how community and government collaboration can accelerate\nagricultural restoration in disaster-affected areas.<\/p>\n
According to Satgas PRR data, total affected rice fields in Solok\nRegency reached 2,205 hectares. Of these, 1,247 hectares were lightly\ndamaged and over 700 hectares severely damaged. By mid-May 2026,\napproximately 1,323 hectares had resumed cultivation.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/community-and-task-force-collaborate-to-restore-1-323-hectares-or-88-of-rice-fields-in-solok-1780022104", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }