Bad weather causing food shortages

Bad weather causing food shortages

JAYAPURA, Papua: The Papuan provincial administration prepared 15 tons of rice to be dispatched to Puncak Jaya regency in anticipation of food shortages due to incessant rain and hail that pounded the regency last week.

The secretary of the Puncak Jaya regional administration, Henock Ibo, said that a bigger shipment of rice would be sent to Ilaga and Sinak, the two worst-hit villages.

"Locals can no longer harvest their crops because their villages are covered in ice," he said here on Monday.

He added that the adverse weather had damaged many vegetable plantations, essential for feeding the people.

Puncak Jaya is located on the slopes of Mount Trikora which is subject to extreme weather conditions. --JP