Central Java farmers hit by crop failure to receive aid

The Central Java Provincial Government has stated that farmers experiencing crop failure due to the impact of drought will receive assistance of Rp6 million per hectare.

Head of the Central Java Agriculture and Livestock Service, Defransisco Dasilva Tavares, when confirmed in Semarang on Friday, said that the compensation is part of farmer protection through insurance.

In 2026, he said, agricultural insurance has been prepared for 10,400 hectares of rice fields spread across 29 regencies and Semarang City.

He explained that farmers who experience crop failure due to drought or pest attacks can submit a claim.

However, he said, they must meet the requirements, namely that land damage reaches 75 percent and has undergone inspection.

“If the failure is 75 percent, the condition cannot be saved from that area, it is automatically replaced, usually Rp6 million per hectare to compensate for the losses,” he said.

Along with the current dry season, he acknowledged that it has had an impact on the rice planting area in Central Java, which has decreased by around 20 percent.

He mentioned that there are at least six areas in Central Java that are of concern because they are prone to drought, including Wonogiri, Blora, Rembang, Grobogan, Jepara, and parts of Cilacap.

“Those are several locations that we are monitoring because the drought comes earlier there,” he said.

So far, he confirmed that farmers are still planting even though the area of land that can be planted has decreased due to limited water.

“It has decreased by around 20 percent, but that is a report whose figures may still differ, because extension workers are also in the field, this is a report from last month (July),” he said.

According to him, areas affected by drought also do not all experience the same conditions.

Efforts to provide water continue to be made to maintain rice production. His office, together with district governments, the Ministry of Agriculture, extension workers, Bank Indonesia, and BBWS, is working to maintain water supply to agricultural land.

For areas that have difficulty obtaining water, the government has prepared deep wells and shallow wells. The water is then channelled using pumps and pipes to agricultural land.