Kediri Regency Government Partners with Pertamina and PLN to Secure Agricultural Irrigation

The Kediri Regency Government in East Java is partnering with PT Pertamina and PT PLN (Persero) to help maintain irrigation for agricultural land as a measure to anticipate the impact of the dry season on farmers’ productivity. “We are constantly communicating and coordinating with Pertamina regarding diesel needs. We have requested that farmers’ needs be prioritised. With PLN, it is regarding the submersible well programme because it requires a large electricity supply,” said Acting Head of the Kediri Regency Agriculture and Plantation Service, Sukadi, on Monday. Sukadi stated that the agricultural sector is one of the priority programmes of Kediri Regent Hanindhito Himawan Pramana, including efforts to maintain food security and improve farmers’ welfare. According to him, the cooperation with Pertamina is focused on providing subsidised diesel for agricultural needs, whilst the cooperation with PLN is directed at supporting the electricity-for-farms programme through the installation of submersible wells. He added that the regional government is also accelerating the process of issuing recommendations for purchasing subsidised diesel. Farmers now only need to report to field agricultural extension officers, who will then process the recommendation. “The recommendation from us is sent to the extension officer on the same day to be printed and handed over to the farmer. So, they can get the subsidised diesel barcode within a day,” he said. He explained that despite the simplified process, supervision of subsidised fuel use is still carried out to prevent misuse. The subsidised diesel is intended for diesel-powered water pumps and agricultural machinery. Furthermore, the Kediri Regency Government plans to build approximately 380 satellite submersible wells in 2026, funded by the central and regional governments, to assist irrigation for farming groups. The regional government is also distributing seed assistance, including 200 tonnes of maize seeds, to help reduce farmers’ production costs. Kediri Regent Hanindhito Himawan Pramana previously emphasised that the regional government would again distribute agricultural machinery assistance as part of efforts to boost the sector’s productivity. “We are not stopping here, because after the seeds we still have agricultural machinery assistance, just wait for the amount,” said Regent Hanindhito.