Tito Reports 1,500 Hectares of Rice Fields Still Buried in Mud After Inspecting Pidie Jaya
Home Affairs Minister Muhammad Tito Karnavian has said that approximately 1,500 hectares of rice fields in Meurah Dua subdistrict, Pidie Jaya regency, Aceh, remain submerged under thick mud.
Tito made the remarks during an inspection of the area on Saturday (21 February) in his capacity as Head of the Task Force for the Acceleration of Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction in the Sumatra Region.
In a written statement, Tito said support from the Ministry of Agriculture was needed to expedite the recovery of farmland affected by the major flooding.
According to Tito, mud deposits at several locations reached 50 centimetres to one metre in depth, with some areas previously reported to be even deeper. In addition, thousands of hectares of other farmland sustained light to moderate damage.
Pidie Jaya regency, Tito noted, is one of the region's food granaries, with a total agricultural area of approximately 8,800 hectares. Consequently, the damage to farmland has the potential to reduce rice production if not addressed promptly.
"This is distressing for the local communities, and beyond that, our rice production could also decline," Tito said.
Tito expressed hope that the Agriculture Ministry would promptly turn its attention to the situation. The accelerated rehabilitation of farmland was deemed essential to restore mud-covered paddies to productive use.
"Hopefully, the Agriculture Minister, Mr Amran Sulaiman, will give immediate attention [to the condition of the farmland] so that it can become productive again," Tito said.
Tito made the remarks during an inspection of the area on Saturday (21 February) in his capacity as Head of the Task Force for the Acceleration of Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction in the Sumatra Region.
In a written statement, Tito said support from the Ministry of Agriculture was needed to expedite the recovery of farmland affected by the major flooding.
According to Tito, mud deposits at several locations reached 50 centimetres to one metre in depth, with some areas previously reported to be even deeper. In addition, thousands of hectares of other farmland sustained light to moderate damage.
Pidie Jaya regency, Tito noted, is one of the region's food granaries, with a total agricultural area of approximately 8,800 hectares. Consequently, the damage to farmland has the potential to reduce rice production if not addressed promptly.
"This is distressing for the local communities, and beyond that, our rice production could also decline," Tito said.
Tito expressed hope that the Agriculture Ministry would promptly turn its attention to the situation. The accelerated rehabilitation of farmland was deemed essential to restore mud-covered paddies to productive use.
"Hopefully, the Agriculture Minister, Mr Amran Sulaiman, will give immediate attention [to the condition of the farmland] so that it can become productive again," Tito said.