Video: Drought Threatens Farmers, Dam Repairs and Irrigation are Urgent

The ‘El Niño Godzilla’ phenomenon, which has triggered a prolonged dry season, poses a significant challenge to the agricultural and plantation sectors in maintaining national food production. Through Commission IV, the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) continues to push for government efforts and anticipatory measures to protect farmers’ yields amidst the threat of drought.

The Deputy Chairman of Commission IV of the DPR RI, Hanan A Rozak, noted that the government’s anticipation of the El Niño phenomenon has been relatively effective, as reflected in rice production figures. As of late August 2026, production reached 31.23 million tonnes, against a target of 34.7 million tonnes.

The DPR RI has requested the government to ‘save’ production currently in the planting and cultivation phases, including paddy field reclamation areas such as those in Lampung. While anticipatory and mitigation steps regarding water pump procurement and irrigation rehabilitation have been implemented, there is a pressing need to accelerate these efforts and optimise the use of existing facilities.

Commission IV also highlighted that budget constraints regarding the repair and normalisation of dams and irrigation systems remain a significant challenge in optimising Indonesia’s food production.