Thousands of hectares (ha) of rice fields in Birelar Regency, Aceh\nProvince, remain abandoned due to being buried under mud following the\nmassive Sumatra floods that occurred on 27 November 2025. Although\nnearly seven months have passed since the disaster, layers of mud\nsediment between 1 to 2 metres deep continue to cover residents\u2019\nproductive land without any cleaning efforts from the relevant\ngovernment authorities.<\/p>\n
This dire condition is particularly evident in the Teungku Syik\nDimanyang settlement, Kuta Blang District, where at least 5 enough\nhectares of rice fields have been transformed into a \u201cmud lake\u201d. In\naddition to the land becoming unworkable, vital infrastructure such as\nirrigation channels and water pump networks have vanished under the\nsediment.<\/p>\n
Based on investigations, the severely affected areas include the\nvillages of Geulanggang Rayeuek, Geulanggang Meunje, Babah Suak, Cot\nMee, Tingkeuem Manyang, Cot Baroh, Ulee Pusong, and Meunasah Rayeuek.\nThese villages were previously known as the food granaries contributing\na surplus of paddy to the Bireuen Regency.<\/p>\n
Community leader in Kuta Blang, Teungku Zainal Abidin, revealed that\nfarmers in these eight villages have now lost their primary livelihoods.\n\u201cWe have entered two planting seasons where our rice fields have been\nunproductive. The \u2018rendengan\u2019 season at the end of last year failed, and\nnow the \u2018gadu\u2019 season cannot be cultivated because the mud is still high\nand the irrigation is destroyed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Zainal estimates that within this one-year period, the potential loss\nin paddy production reaches at least 1,000 tonnes from these eight\nvillages alone. Consequently, residents who previously enjoyed abundant\nharvests are now forced to purchase rice to meet their families\u2019 food\nneeds.<\/p>\n
The crisis is also triggering an economic domino effect. Ismail, a\nlocal farmer, noted that agricultural labourers are losing their jobs,\nranging from ploughing services to paddy transport workers.\n\u201cAgricultural tool traders and providers of farming inputs (saprodi) are\nalso seeing fewer customers because agricultural activities have come to\na total standstill,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Cultural expert and Senior Lecturer at Syiah Kuala University (USK),\nM. Adli Abdullah, highlighted the long-term social impact of the\ncollapse of the agricultural sector in Bireuen and Pidie Jaya. As a\nproduction centre for rice on the northern coast of the Malacca Strait,\nthe uncertainty regarding agricultural land will impact the education\nsector.<\/p>\n
\u201cThousands of students studying at USK, UIN Ar-Raniry, and Almuslim\nUniversity are the children of farmers. Their parents fund their\neducation from the harvests of paddy, coffee, and cocoa. If their source\nof hope is destroyed, it will significantly affect the future of the\nnation\u2019s children,\u201d Adli emphasised.<\/p>\n
To date, much of the severely damaged land is reported to have\ntransitioned into dry land due to the thickness of the sediment. Without\nintervention via heavy machinery and irrigation rehabilitation from the\ngovernment, the food crisis and poverty in this Aceh rice granary region\nare feared to deepen.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/seven-months-post-flood-in-bireuen-thousands-of-hectares-of-rice-fields-still-buried-in-mud-1780832858", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }