Floods wash out rice crops

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)