Task Force Accelerates Paddy Field Rehabilitation, Ensures Rice Supply and Food Security in Affected Areas

The Task Force for Accelerating Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (PRR) following the Sumatra disaster continues to expedite the rehabilitation of paddy fields damaged by hydrometeorological disasters in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra. The acceleration of rehabilitation is carried out using a revitalisation scheme and land protection to prevent paddy fields from changing function, in order to ensure the sustainability of rice supplies and regional food security, as well as to speed up the recovery of farmers’ lives. Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman stated that his ministry has conducted data collection and inventory of affected agricultural land, and ensured that the area of productive land remains maintained despite damage from the disaster. He revealed that the government is not only focused on rehabilitating affected land through land revitalisation and new paddy field creation, but also implementing land protection policies to prevent functional changes, thereby maintaining food productivity. While cataloguing damaged land, the government is also distributing agricultural aid in the form of superior seeds and seedlings so that farmers can quickly resume planting post-disaster. “All those affected, the government provides assistance, including in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra. All damaged paddy fields are covered by the government,” said Amran. Based on Task Force PRR data as of 24 April 2026, 2,045 hectares out of 42,702 hectares of paddy fields targeted for rehabilitation in the three affected provinces have been rehabilitated, while 12,126 hectares are still in the handling process. Head of the Task Force PRR for the Sumatra Post-Disaster Muhammad Tito Karnavian stated that paddy field rehabilitation is not only focused on physical land recovery but also includes strengthening legal aspects through updating land data. According to him, such steps are important to ensure that land returned to productivity has legal certainty and can be optimally utilised by the community. “Because the National Land Agency (BPN) under the Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency (ATR/BPN) Nusron Wahid, there may need to be instructions to the ranks to proactively work with local governments to resolve land issues, land boundaries, as well as assist with lost certificates,” said Tito. In addition, he also urged local governments to actively coordinate with the regional offices of ATR/BPN regarding the re-cataloguing of residents’ land. If obstacles are encountered, the central government will intervene to ensure all processes run quickly and accurately.