El Niño-Driven Forest and Land Fires Prompt Ministry of Agriculture to Inspect Palm Oil Firms' Readiness
The Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) has tightened oversight of palm oil plantation companies to face the threat of forest and land fires (karhutla) as forecasts point to El Niño-triggered drought in 2026. Through a direct inspection in Musi Banyuasin Regency, South Sumatra, Kementan confirmed that the entire fire-control system within plantation areas is fully operational ahead of the peak of the dry season.
The move follows an instruction from Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman, who stressed that prevention should be the top priority in facing potential land fires. ‘Do not wait for a fire to break out before you put it out. Prevention must be the primary step,’ Amran was quoted as saying in a press release received on Friday 22 May.
Inspection was conducted by the Directorate General of Plantations of the Ministry of Agriculture at one integrated palm-oil plantation company in Musi Banyuasin on Saturday 9 May. The activity was led directly by Acting Director General of Plantations, Ali Jamil, together with the Director of Plantation Protection, the Plantation Service of Musi Banyuasin Regency, and representatives of the South Sumatra Provincial Plantation Service.
‘This inspection is being conducted as a follow-up to the Minister of Agriculture’s directive to ensure readiness of plantation companies in facing the threat of fires, particularly those on plantation land, in anticipation of the potential occurrence of Godzilla El Niño,’ Ali Jamil said.
During the inspection, the team carried out a thorough assessment of the fire-control task force, readiness of human resources, early-detection systems, reporting systems, and the completeness of firefighting facilities and infrastructure.
Equipment inspected included water pumps, personal protective equipment, rubber boats, hoses, embung (water reservoirs), and fire-monitoring towers, in accordance with Minister of Agriculture Regulation No. 6 of 2025 on the Opening and/or Processing of Plantation Land Without Burning.
This activity is also part of the implementation of Law No. 39 of 2014 on Plantations and Presidential Instruction No. 3 of 2020 on Forest and Land Fire Control.
Ali Jamil stressed that field preparedness must be strengthened so that responses to potential fires can be quicker and more effective. ‘We want to ensure all fire-control facilities operate optimally and are ready for use at any time. Strengthening human resources through regular training is also important so that officers understand SOPs and can act quickly in emergencies, especially those related to land fires,’ he said.
As a result of the inspection, the ministry found several aspects that still require improvement by the companies, including strengthening the real-time fire-point monitoring system, adding fire-monitoring towers, improving embung maintenance to ensure water reserves remain available during the dry season, and installing appropriately rated water pumps in embung areas.
In addition, the company was asked to conduct routine maintenance and calibration of all extinguishing equipment such as water pumps and fire-fighting vehicles to keep them ready for use.
At the end of the visit, the company management expressed commitment to promptly implement improvements and ensure all land-fire control systems function optimally.
Finally, Ali Jamil urged all plantation operators, both corporations and smallholders, to heighten readiness against karhutla due to Godzilla El Niño and to comply with all applicable regulations. He also stressed that under Presidential Instruction No. 3 of 2020, the Ministry of Agriculture together with regional governments will continue to supervise plantation operators, facilitate the implementation of land-clearing without burning, and impose administrative or criminal sanctions on violations by companies or smallholders.