Thousands of Hectares of Farmland in 26 Tasikmalaya Districts Threatened by Crop Failure

The dry season has impacted the water supply to rice fields. In Tasikmalaya Regency, 2,172 hectares of agricultural land are experiencing water shortages and are threatened with crop failure. Head of the Tasikmalaya Regency Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Roni AKS, stated that the total planting area during the current dry season reaches 4,948 hectares. Of that total, 2,172 hectares are already experiencing drought. The drought-affected rice fields are spread across 26 districts, with conditions ranging from mild to severe. “Rivers have dried up, impacting agricultural land. The worst-affected areas are in Manonjaya District covering 232 hectares, Jamanis 225 hectares, Cipatujah 200 hectares, Cikalong 655 hectares, Salawu 45 hectares, and Sukaraja 19 hectares,” he added on Wednesday (29/7). According to Roni, the drought has left farmers confused, as they had already completed land preparation and planting. “The drought will continue to spread because rain has not yet fallen. The agriculture agency is expected to provide a solution soon. Farmers are planting secondary crops as a substitute for rice,” he said. Meanwhile, the Head of Food Crops, Horticulture, and Plantations at the Tasikmalaya Regency Agriculture Agency, Ida Hindarsah, said that agricultural land threatened by drought and crop failure is spread across 31 districts. A number of officers have been deployed to provide education so that land is planted with secondary crops. “Based on reports received, drought has occurred in 31 districts with rice plants aged between 7 and 115 days. The affected area covers 14,432 hectares. The drought will expand if rain does not fall in August,” she concluded.