Thousands of hectares of paddies dry up in Jambi

Jon Afrizal, Jambi

Thousands of hectares of paddies in Kerinci and Tebo regencies, here, which rely on irrigation, have been deprived of water, due to a prolonged drought in the province.

If there is no rain in the near future, it is doubtful that the farmers can harvest the rice.

Indications of drought were observed in mid-June, when rainfall started to decrease. Some 160 hectares of paddies in Kerinci regency have become dry over the past two weeks, as well as thousands of hectares in Tebo regency, over the last week.

In Tebo, 5,344 hectares of paddies depend on irrigation, while 3,584 hectares are rain dependent.

The irrigation channels in the two regencies have dried up. To overcome the problem, farmers dug wells in the middle of their paddies, a temporary solution that has since failed.

It is hoped that the drought will end in September, when rainfall is predicted, according to data from the Sultan Thaha Meteorology station in Jambi.

An official of Jambi's Office of Agriculture and Food Crops, Tagor Mulya Lubis, told The Jakarta Post on Saturday that the office had anticipated the drought. He said that 1 percent to 1.5 percent of the 160,000 hectares of paddies in Jambi would be affected by it.

The office has provided assistance in the form of pumps to channel water from nearby springs to the paddies.

"We have recommended that farmers plant rice in lower areas, which are more likely to retain water. If they are forced to cultivate crops in higher areas, they could find an alternative crop that tolerates dry conditions, such as the sweet potato," he said.