Pidie Regency Accelerates Paddy Field Recovery, 287 Hectares Have Already Harvested Twice

The Pidie Regency government has recorded progress in the rehabilitation of paddy fields affected by the Sumatra flash floods late last year. Lightly damaged fields are now able to be planted and harvested, while moderately damaged fields have completed surveys conducted by universities.

This development was disclosed by Pidie Regency officials during a meeting with the Head of the Sumatra Region Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Acceleration Task Force (Satgas PRR), Dr Safrizal ZA, in Sigli City on Friday, 5 June 2026. The Pidie Regency delegation included the Head of the Agriculture and Food Office, Hasballah; the Head of the Public Works and Spatial Planning Office (PUPR), Muntahar; and other regional officials.

Hasballah, Head of the Pidie Agriculture and Food Office, explained that 287 hectares of paddy fields categorised as lightly damaged have been cleared. These lands have already been replanted, with some areas having already achieved two harvests. Meanwhile, for 120 hectares of moderately damaged fields, the Pidie Regency government has prepared a Study, Investigation, and Design (SID) to be carried out by Malikussaleh University. The preparation of the SID is considered vital to ensure the rehabilitation process is measurable, covering technical requirements, work patterns, and budget estimates.

This phased approach aligns with the push from the PRR Task Force, which previously urged local governments to accelerate the recovery of agricultural land for disaster-affected communities. According to PRR Task Force data, Aceh is the province with the largest paddy field rehabilitation target in Sumatra, reaching 31,464 hectares.

Hasballah continued by stating that the Pidie Regency government is currently attempting to address severely damaged fields in the Mutiara District. At least 95 hectares of paddy fields are buried under mud with a thickness of approximately one metre. Land located behind the Mutiara Sub-district Office, which was previously highly productive with up to three harvests per year, can no longer be cultivated due to the flood debris.

The Pidie Regency government has prepared a transition fund of Rp 500 million to begin initial rehabilitation. However, this budget is estimated to cover only about five hectares, as each hectare requires approximately Rp 98 million due to the thickness of the sediment.

Safrizal ZA, Head of the Sumatra Region PRR Task Force, estimates that the total requirement for rehabilitating the severely damaged land reaches approximately Rp 5 billion, with an estimated work duration of two months. According to Safrizal, the most important step at this time is ensuring that the local government begins working using available resources while awaiting support from the central government.

Pidie Regency is considered to have sufficient initial capital to begin work, with the Pidie PUPR Office possessing approximately 10 units of heavy equipment, including backhoes, graders, dozers, and trucks, which can be utilised to support the accelerated rehabilitation of the affected land.

Safrizal also requested that the Regent of Pidie immediately send a formal request for assistance to the Head of the PRR Task Force, Tito Karnavian, so that cross-ministerial support can be processed promptly. “We must move first so that the central government sees the region’s seriousness in restoring post-disaster conditions,” he said.