Drought Expands and Begins to Impact Agriculture
JAKARTA – Mohammad Yadi Sofyan Noor, Chairman of the Contact Tani Nelayan Andalan (KTNA), has said that a number of farming regions have begun to be affected by drought as the dry season intensifies. These areas are spread across West Java, Central Java and as far as South Kalimantan.
In West Java, the districts beginning to feel the impact are Indramayu and Subang. In Central Java, meanwhile, Purworejo District remains relatively safe thanks to a technical irrigation system and available water sources. In South Kalimantan, the areas starting to be affected include Banjar, Tanah Laut and Tanah Bumbu Pagatan districts.
“To deal with the effects of drought, KTNA is accustomed to adapting. Where water sources are still available, we use the water pumps that we already have,” Sofyan told Republika on Monday (20/7/2026).
According to him, when water sources begin to run low, farmers turn to deep wells as an alternative. If water sources completely dry up, water needs are met sparingly using tanker lorries. These measures are taken so that crops continue to receive a supply of water during the dry season.
The Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) previously outlined the various mitigation steps the government has prepared to face the potential drought caused by the dry season and the threat of El Nino. Deputy Minister of Agriculture Sudaryono said the strategy is intended to keep national food production stable.
According to him, mitigation is being carried out through an early warning information system (Si-PERDITAN), strengthening of water infrastructure, pump installation, rehabilitation of irrigation networks, provision of drought-resistant seeds, and intensive coordination with ministries, agencies and regional governments.
“The data show that the mitigation efforts we have undertaken are working effectively. The area of crop failure due to El Nino up to July 2026 is around 12,000 hectares, far lower than in 2015, when it reached around 217,000 hectares. This means the government’s preparedness is growing stronger and we can still safeguard national food production,” Sudaryono said during a working meeting with Commission IV of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) in Jakarta several days ago.
To strengthen readiness for the dry season, Kementan is also accelerating the provision of agricultural machinery and equipment (alsintan), such as water pumps, tractors, rice transplanters and various other supporting facilities, so that farmland productivity remains optimal across the regions.
Sudaryono said these mitigation measures are aimed at reducing the risk of harvest failure while maintaining land productivity amid the threat of climate change. The government will continue to strengthen its preparedness so that national food security is maintained and the food self-sufficiency target can be achieved.