RI govt plans 7,000 water pumps for Central Java as drought looms
“We will help with everything, including pumps and irrigation pumps. We cannot afford to leave farmers in Central Java lacking pumps and water,” he remarked in Brebes District, Central Java, on Monday.
Sulaiman assured the public of assistance with potential drought during the groundbreaking ceremony for an integrated dairy farm complex in Larangan Subdistrict.
He implied that the government had already prepared 2,000 water pumps to shield farmlands across the province from drought.
“I will provide an additional five thousand pumps. In short, we are preparing 7,000 units for now. Water is among the important factors in maintaining agricultural productivity,” the minister said.
In addition to irrigation support, he continued, the government intends to supply corn and rice seeds and distribute supporting equipment such as tractors.
He also commended Central Java Governor Ahmad Luthfi for notable contributions to food security.
According to Sulaiman, the governor has been striving to safeguard farmers’ livelihoods amid the potential for a prolonged dry season, aiming to keep agricultural outputs stable.
“Mr. Governor Ahmad Luthfi is an exceptional figure sustaining Indonesia’s food sector. He is very diligent, and owing to his work, Central Java is now the second-largest rice producer,” he remarked.
For his part, Luthfi pointed out that the province produced 9.7 million metric tons of rice in 2025, accounting for 15.6 percent of the national output.
“The central government has set a target for us to raise the number to 10.5 million tons in 2026,” the governor stated.
To pursue the target, he said, the provincial government is rallying district and municipal administrations to collaborate with the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning to prevent farmland conversion.
“Central Java is a national food powerhouse whose farmlands must be protected. For that reason, we are requesting water pumps to enable this province to retain its role,” he affirmed.
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Translator: Kutnadi, Tegar Nurfitra