PRR Task Force Pushes for Accelerated Agricultural Recovery in Sumatra
Efforts to recover agricultural land affected by disasters in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra continue to show positive developments. Some farmers have begun managing their paddy fields again as land rehabilitation progresses.
Nevertheless, the Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Acceleration Task Force (Satgas PRR) for Sumatra continues to urge local governments (Pemda) to accelerate programme implementation. This aims to ensure that the benefits can be immediately felt by the wider community.
The Chairman of the Sumatra Post-Disaster PRR Task Force, Muhammad Tito Karnavian, stated that the recovery of the agricultural sector is one of the main priorities. This sector is directly linked to the livelihood of the community and food security in the affected areas.
Based on data as of Monday (22/06/2026), the rehabilitation of paddy fields in several regions has recorded significant progress. West Sumatra holds the highest achievement with rehabilitation progress reaching 97.56 per cent, followed by North Sumatra at 58.88 per cent.
Meanwhile, in Aceh, land rehabilitation has reached 47 per cent. The total land successfully recovered reaches 14,799 hectares out of a total affected area of 31,464 hectares.
According to Tito, the massive extent of damage to paddy fields makes the acceleration of rehabilitation extremely important. This step is crucial so that farmers can immediately return to production and community economic activities can recover more quickly.
“The Minister of Agriculture (Amran Sulaiman) has asked for my help to ensure that heads of agricultural departments truly utilise the budget that has been distributed by the Ministry of Agriculture,” Tito said in a written statement on Monday (20/06/2026).
For information, the Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) has distributed an agricultural land rehabilitation budget of Rp 877.12 billion. This support is further strengthened by additional budget prepared by the central government to accelerate recovery in affected areas.
Tito appreciated the regions that have shown acceleration in rehabilitation. However, he also highlighted regions still hindered by administrative matters, urging them to simplify processes without reducing the principle of accountability.
“There are regions that are already moving. There are also those that are slow because they are still in the study phase. This is good for accountability, but please speed up because the farmers want it fast. We have also pushed the budget through,” he emphasised.
Tito ensured that the central government, together with the Ministry of Agriculture, has prepared adequate budget support and recovery schemes. With this support, field implementation is expected to move much faster.
“The Minister of Agriculture has distributed more than Rp 800 billion and now has an additional Rp 2.6 trillion. Therefore, the issue of paddy fields is actually not a problem if the implementation can be faster,” concluded Tito.