Governor Mualem Seeks Full Ministerial Support for Aceh's Agricultural Recovery

Aceh Governor Muzakir Manaf, known as Mualem, has requested full support from Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman to comprehensively restore Aceh’s agricultural sector, which has been damaged following floods and landslides. “We need your support, Mr Minister, for the recovery of agricultural land in Aceh affected by the hydrometeorological disaster,” Mualem said in a statement received in Banda Aceh on Wednesday. The request for the recovery of Aceh’s agricultural sector was made directly by Mualem during an audience and discussion with Minister Amran Sulaiman in Jakarta. Mualem stated that the people of Aceh earnestly hope the Minister will continue to support the recovery of land and plantations that have been damaged or lost due to the disaster, including the Gayo coffee plantations in the highlands of Aceh. Additionally, Mualem advised officials from the Agriculture and Plantation Service across all regencies and cities in Aceh to maximise the use of assistance from the Ministry of Agriculture so that the farmers’ economy can recover swiftly. Based on data collected by the Aceh Government, the hydrometeorological disaster affected approximately 57,485 hectares of rice fields. Of this area, the land optimisation process is currently underway on 40,852 hectares. The disaster also impacted the plantation sector, covering an area of 50,438 hectares, with the ongoing recovery process for plantations having reached 10,418 hectares. The Minister of Agriculture has committed to rehabilitating and rejuvenating coffee plants in the highland areas of Aceh that were damaged by erosion and landslides. The support includes providing superior seedlings, fertilisers, and technical assistance to restore the productivity of this export commodity. Amran also confirmed that the Ministry’s technical teams have been deployed directly to the affected areas in Aceh to monitor the phased land reconstruction. He noted that some time ago, he personally participated in directly monitoring several disaster-affected sites.