Agriculture Ministry Deploys Fire Engines to Combat Drought in Polewali Mandar

The Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) is moving swiftly to address emergency drought conditions to save potential agricultural land from crop failure. In a direct intervention, the ministry deployed two fire engines to supply water to 22 hectares of rain-fed rice fields in Mapilli District, Polewali Mandar Regency, West Sulawesi, on Monday (27/7/2026).

Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman has repeatedly stressed that the ministry is accelerating mitigation efforts against the extreme weather. The government is focusing on pumping and optimising the use of nearby water sources as a mandatory measure to prevent nationwide harvest failures.

Plh. Director General of Food Crops at the Ministry of Agriculture, Tin Latifah, stated that the ministry has implemented various mitigation steps to face the potential impacts of El Niño during the 2026 dry season. These measures include establishing an early warning system, mapping drought-prone areas, optimising water resources, and strengthening cross-sector coordination to maintain rice production and support food self-sufficiency targets.

Data as of 24 July 2026 indicates that while drought has affected some areas, the ministry is working to keep national production on track. For lands that do experience crop failure, the government is preparing seed assistance and facilitating the Rice Farming Business Insurance (AUTP) claims process for affected farmers.

Despite the dry season challenges, the Ministry of Agriculture remains optimistic. Projections from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in its June 2026 Food Outlook estimate Indonesia’s rice production for the 2026/2027 season will reach 38.6 million tonnes, positioning the country as the largest rice producer in Southeast Asia and the fourth largest globally, even amid a projected decline in world rice production.