Planting area expansion to help anticipate food crisis: govt

The Indonesian government is expanding planting areas to tackle potential food shortages. Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman highlighted the urgency due to global food instability, climate challenges, and geopolitical tensions. Despite a significant drop in rice planting areas, the program aims to boost production through water pumping, swamp land optimization, and intercropping. As of August 2024, the expansion has covered over 900,000 hectares, supported by a substantial increase in water pump allocations.

The Indonesian government is focusing on expanding planting areas to address potential food crises. Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman emphasized the need for this initiative due to a complex global food situation, including anticipated droughts and geopolitical tensions. Here’s a summary of key points from the recent updates:

1. Global Food Situation: The global food crisis is becoming increasingly challenging due to various factors, including weather anomalies and geopolitical conflicts.
2. Decline in Planting Areas: Data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS) show a significant reduction in rice planting areas—from an average of 12.82 million hectares (2015-2019) to 8.61 million hectares from October 2023 to June 2024. This reduction has negatively impacted rice production.
3. Planting Area Expansion (PAT) Program: To counteract these challenges, the PAT program is being implemented. This program involves:
   • Water Pumping: Utilizing water pumps to irrigate rain-fed lands.
   • Optimizing Swamp Land: Improving the use of swamp areas for rice cultivation.
   • Intercropping: Growing rice alongside oil palms to maximize land use.
4. Progress and Goals: As of August 7, 2024, the PAT program has covered 915,394 hectares. The Ministry of Agriculture has also allocated 62,378 water pumps for 2024 to support these efforts.
5. Future Outlook: The government’s aim is to enhance domestic rice production and reduce reliance on imports by improving local food availability through these measures.