To Meet Planting Season Before August, Government Targets Recovery of 42,702 Hectares of Flood-Affected Rice Fields in Sumatra
The government is accelerating the recovery of rice fields damaged by the Sumatra floods. One step to speed this up is through an evaluation and coordination meeting held by the Task Force for Accelerating Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (Satgas PRR) Post-Sumatra Disaster on Thursday, 30 April 2026.
This acceleration effort is so that the rice fields can be planted again before the peak dry season in August. A total of 42,702 hectares is the target for rehabilitation in the three affected provinces.
The meeting concluded that the current top priority is to accelerate work contracts, completion of planning documents, and on-site construction acceleration so that the rice fields can soon be used again for planting before the dry season arrives.
The central government also emphasised that all regions must comply with the completion deadlines conveyed in the meeting, with the majority of targets to be completed by the end of May, June, and at the latest end of July 2026. Any delays will be evaluated, including the possibility of reviewing related officials if the promised targets are not met.
Satgas PRR requested that districts with low rehabilitation progress accelerate their work, such as Lhokseumawe City, which as of Thursday, 30 April 2026, has only realised about 8 percent or 62 hectares of its planning document contracts. Whereas the recovery target in this area reaches 783 hectares. Progress evaluations will be conducted every two weeks by the National Command Post of Satgas PRR.
The meeting leader, Secretary General of the Ministry of Home Affairs Tomsi Tohir, asked all local governments in the three affected provinces to complete according to the targets already conveyed. “Not even one day behind, everything finished by end of July,” he stressed.
He also emphasised the importance of field supervision. Therefore, elements of the TNI, Polri, and central and regional Inspectorates are asked to actively coordinate while overseeing the acceleration of rice field rehabilitation so that completion targets are not missed.
The total rehabilitation target of 42,702 hectares comes from three provinces that have set targets, namely Aceh covering 31,464 hectares, North Sumatra 7,336 hectares, and West Sumatra 3,902 hectares.
Aceh Province is the area with the largest rehabilitation target, namely 31,464 hectares. The widest target is in North Aceh Regency, 8,282 hectares consisting of 1,093 hectares of moderately damaged land and 7,189 hectares of lightly damaged.
Representatives from that area reported that implementation is still awaiting a scheme change from Government Assistance (Bamper) to self-managed, with a completion target of 31 July 2026.
Next, East Aceh Regency targets rehabilitation of 8,074 hectares of rice fields. Currently, around 1,770 hectares of moderately damaged land are already in the work process and targeted to be completed on 15 July 2026.
In North Sumatra Province, rice field rehabilitation is targeted at 7,336 hectares in five regencies. Serdang Bedagai Regency reported a rehabilitation target of 1,350 hectares. The land clearing process in this area has begun, while the submission files have been sent to the provincial government since 20 April 2026. The completion target is set for 30 June 2026.
Meanwhile, West Sumatra Province targets rehabilitation of 3,902 hectares of rice fields in 11 regencies and cities. Lima Puluh Kota Regency is the area with the fastest completion target. From the 77-hectare target, 19 hectares of lightly damaged land and 58 hectares of moderately damaged, targeted to be completed on 14 May 2026. The local government also plans mass planting one day after.
Tomsi reminded that every delay will be evaluated, including the possibility of reviewing related officials. He emphasised that post-disaster rice field rehabilitation is part of the national strategic programme that must be carried out seriously, quickly, and with quality. Based on Law No. 23 of 2014, regional heads can be sanctioned if they do not implement the national strategic programme.
This meeting was attended online by 26 regency governments, represented by Regional Secretaries, Regional Inspectors, Heads of Agriculture Offices, Kodim Chiefs of Staff, to Deputy Heads of Police Resorts.
This meeting is in line with the directives of the Satgas PRR Chairman, who is also Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian, regarding the acceleration of agricultural sector recovery in disaster-affected areas. He stated that the government will continue to oversee rice field rehabilitation through coordination with local governments and across ministries and agencies. The aim, besides recovering the economy of affected farmer households, is also to maintain rice production for food security.