Governor Ahmad Luthfi Urges Central Java Regents and Mayors to Anticipate Long Dry Season

Central Java Governor Ahmad Luthfi has instructed regents and mayors across the province to anticipate potential drought in their respective areas. He made the statement after attending a grand rice harvest event in Gentan Village, Bendosari District, Sukoharjo Regency, on Wednesday (24/6/2026). Luthfi welcomed the harvest in Sukoharjo but cautioned that a prolonged dry season still looms. “The challenge ahead is the change of seasons. The forecast is for a long dry season. Therefore, all regents and mayors must map areas affected by drought so that the food self-sufficiency target can be met,” he said. During a dialogue with farmers in Gentan Village, several farmers raised aspirations ranging from water needs for the third planting season, electricity networks for agricultural wells, assistance with combine harvesters and soil processing equipment, to the repair of farm roads and irrigation channels. Responding to this, Luthfi confirmed that the Central Java Provincial Government will optimise support for agricultural facilities and infrastructure. For harvesting equipment needs, for instance, the provincial government will arrange the rotating use of its own combine harvesters while also proposing additional agricultural machinery assistance to the Ministry of Agriculture. Additionally, Central Java has received around 17,000 water pumps to be distributed according to regional needs, which is expected to help irrigate farmland during the dry season. “The important thing is that water reaches the fields and farmers’ needs are met,” Luthfi said. Luthfi revealed that the projected production of milled dry grain in Central Java Province from January to July 2026 is 6.69 million tonnes. “The national target of 10.5 million tonnes must be met by the end of the year,” he stated. Specifically for Sukoharjo, Luthfi noted that milled dry grain production there has increased by 25 percent, reaching nearly 160,000 tonnes. “This serves as a model for other regencies; it already uses modern equipment, has achieved two to three planting seasons, and so on,” Luthfi remarked.