The Department of Agriculture and Plantation (Distanbun) in Aceh, Indonesia has reported that the province's rice production in the first quarter of 2023 reached 362,355 tons of dried and milled rice, and they are optimistic that Aceh can achieve its production target of 1.7 million tons of rice by the end of the year. The data was calculated from the production of rice in January of 60,745 tons, February of 92,588 tons, and March of 209,022 tons. While the production in April 2023 was recorded by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) at 233,396 tons, this is still a temporary figure, and BPS Aceh is still calculating the potential production numbers as the peak harvest season is in April.
Safrizal, the Head of Plantation Food Crops Division at Distanbun Aceh, emphasized the importance of inter-sector cooperation in efforts to increase rice production in Aceh during the upcoming gadu planting season. He also hopes that related agencies such as the Aceh Water Department can guarantee and manage the availability of water for farmers in Aceh, particularly with the threat of the El Nino weather phenomenon that triggers drought and low rainfall in Indonesia. Safrizal hopes that farmers can maximize planting, and the related agencies can also provide sufficient water supply for farmers to achieve maximum results during the gadu harvest season.
