PRR Task Force Pushes for Accelerated Agricultural Recovery in Sumatra

Efforts to restore disaster-affected agricultural land in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra continue to show positive progress. Some farmers have begun working their fields again as land rehabilitation advances. Nevertheless, the Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Task Force (Satgas PRR) for Sumatra continues to encourage local governments to accelerate programme implementation so that the benefits can be felt by the wider community immediately. Satgas PRR Chairman Muhammad Tito Karnavian stated that the recovery of the agricultural sector is a top priority, as it is directly linked to the lifeblood of community livelihoods and food security in the affected areas. Based on data as of Monday (22/6/2026), the rehabilitation of rice fields in several regions has recorded significant progress. West Sumatra achieved the highest figure, with rehabilitation progress reaching 97.56 per cent, followed by North Sumatra at 58.88 per cent. Meanwhile, in Aceh, land rehabilitation reached 47 per cent. The total area successfully restored amounts to 14,799 hectares out of an overall affected area of 31,464 hectares. According to Tito, the massive scale of damage to rice fields makes accelerating rehabilitation extremely important. This step is crucial so that farmers can quickly resume production and the community’s economic activities can recover faster. "The Minister of Agriculture (Amran Sulaiman) asked me to ensure that heads of agricultural agencies truly utilise the budget that has been disbursed by the Ministry of Agriculture," Tito said in a written statement on Monday (22/6/2026). The Ministry of Agriculture has disbursed a budget of Rp 877.12 billion for agricultural land rehabilitation. This support is further strengthened by additional funding prepared by the central government to accelerate recovery in the affected regions. Tito appreciated regions that have demonstrated accelerated rehabilitation. However, he also highlighted areas still hampered by administrative matters, urging them to simplify processes without compromising accountability principles. "There are regions that are already moving. There are also those that are slow because they are still conducting studies. That is good for accountability, but please speed up because the farmers want it fast. We have also pushed the budget," he stressed. Tito confirmed that the central government, together with the Ministry of Agriculture, has prepared adequate budget support and recovery schemes. With this backing, on-the-ground implementation is expected to move much faster. "The Minister of Agriculture has disbursed more than Rp 800 billion and has now received an additional Rp 2.6 trillion. So, the issue of rice fields is actually not a problem if implementation can be faster," Tito concluded.