Prolonged Dry Season Threatens Cianjur's Rice Bowl, Local Government Strengthens Mitigation

The Cianjur Regency government in West Java is strengthening its mitigation efforts as a prolonged dry season threatens the region’s status as a major rice-producing area. The Sekretaris Dinas Tanaman Pangan Hortikultura Perkebunan dan Ketahanan Pangan (Secretary of the Food Crops, Horticulture, Plantation and Food Security Agency) of Cianjur, Ali, stated that the most vulnerable areas are typically those at the end of irrigation networks. To address this, the agency has coordinated with technical bodies to normalise and dredge several irrigation areas, including the Cihea and Ciherang-Cibanteng irrigation zones, to prevent sediment from blocking water flow. Ali also noted that the agency has proposed repairs to nine irrigation areas under the authority of the West Java Provincial Government, including the Cibeber region, which still has extensive agricultural land. He expressed hope that the dry season would not be prolonged, as it could disrupt the regency’s agricultural production targets and the national food self-sufficiency programme.