Cimahi Government Ensures Food Security Amid Threat of Prolonged Drought
The Cimahi City Food and Agriculture Office has assured that the availability and supply of food staples remain secure amid the threat of El Niño or a prolonged dry season. Head of the Office, Tita Mariam, urged the public not to worry or engage in panic buying. Although almost all food needs are supplied from other regions, she confirmed that availability is still sufficient. “For food availability, thank God it is still sufficient and safe during this dry season. So, the public does not need to panic about food needs, including rice,” Tita said on Thursday (30/7).
According to Tita, Cimahi is not a food-producing region due to its very limited agricultural land. Therefore, the local government continues to coordinate with producing regions and relevant agencies to maintain smooth supply chains. “So far, food needs are indeed supplied from other regions. Rice, for example, because our agricultural land is very limited,” she said.
As a precautionary measure against the prolonged dry season, the government has prepared a Regional Government Food Reserve (CPPD). This reserve will be distributed to the public in the event of an emergency or food crisis. Currently, the CPPD stock is recorded at 73,971.20 kilogrammes, consisting of 50,261.20 kilogrammes of medium-grade rice and 23,710 kilogrammes of premium rice. All of the rice reserves are stored at the Bulog warehouse in the Bandung branch office.
In addition to ensuring food availability, the Cimahi city government is continuously strengthening sustainable food security by increasing production and food diversification, especially for commodities such as tubers, animal-based foods, fruits and oilseeds, legumes, and sugar. One of the efforts involves optimising the use of idle and suboptimal land through urban farming programmes. The government is also providing education to the public on utilising limited space for cultivation. “This programme includes community gardens, rooftop gardening, and budikdamber (fish farming in buckets), which are suitable for urban areas with limited space,” she explained.
Furthermore, the Cimahi government is encouraging increased productivity in the agricultural and horticultural sectors through environmentally friendly sustainable farming systems. The development of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the local food processing sector is also being strengthened. “This effort not only strengthens food security but also opens up new economic opportunities for the community. The government can provide support through training and access to financing so that MSME players are able to process local food products into value-added goods that are more durable and easier to distribute,” she concluded.