South Sumatra Optimistic Rice Production Will Rise Despite Strengthening El Niño

The Agriculture Office of South Sumatra Province is optimistic that rice production in the region will continue to increase even though the El Niño phenomenon is expected to strengthen and potentially last for several more months. Head of the Food Crops Division at the South Sumatra Agriculture Office, Tuti Murti, stated in Palembang on Monday that rice production up to August 2026 is projected to reach 2.885 million tonnes of milled dry grain (GKG), an increase of approximately 108,000 tonnes compared to the same period in 2025. This production increase indicates that the impact of El Niño on the agricultural sector in South Sumatra has not been significant so far. One factor supporting the production increase is the accelerated planting strategy implemented since April 2026. Through this strategy, a number of areas potentially affected by drought could be harvested before the peak of the dry season. “For August, we see no significant obstacles yet. Most of the land potentially affected by drought has already been harvested,” she said. She explained that the geographical conditions of South Sumatra are also a supporting factor in facing the dry season. The province has four agricultural land typologies: irrigated land, lowland swamps, tidal swamps, and dry land. The diversity of these land typologies allows planting patterns to be adjusted to the conditions and water availability in each region. “Dry land certainly cannot be planted now. But deep lowland swamps are still possible because water is still available. Meanwhile, most of the shallow lowland swamps have already been harvested, although some crops are still in the field,” she explained. The South Sumatra Agriculture Office will continue to map areas that still have planting potential during the dry season. The mapping is carried out to ensure cultivation activities take place on land with adequate water availability. In addition to mapping, the government is also preparing support in the form of water pump assistance in several areas if field conditions require additional water supply to maintain agricultural productivity. The accelerated planting strategy, utilisation of various land typologies, and support for production facilities are part of the government’s efforts to maintain food production in South Sumatra. “With the accelerated planting strategy, utilisation of land typologies, and support for production facilities, we are optimistic that this year’s rice production target can still be achieved even though the El Niño phenomenon is expected to continue for several more months,” said Tuti.