Floods wash out rice crops

TANGERANG (JP): The rice supply in Tangerang Regency will be severely affected by failure of harvests on 600 hectares of paddy fields, destroyed by severe flooding last week.

Head of the regency's agriculture office Yodhi Rosidi said yesterday the crops, which were ready for harvesting, were destroyed by the regency's biggest recorded floods which hit June 5.

With water levels reaching up to 1.5 meters in height, the flooding inundated five regencies, namely Balaraja, Pasar Kemis, Tigaraksa, Rajeg, Mauk and Kronjo, Yodhi said.

Without giving details on the quantity of rice stocks held at the regency, he said his office had asked for aid from the provincial government in the form of rice seedlings for the next planting season.

"We have also requested assistance in both rice and medicines for those affected," he said.

According to his office's data, paddy fields in the regency covered 41,285 hectares, of which about 13,000 hectares could not be cultivated during the dry season. (41/hhr)