Minister of Agriculture, Andi Amran Sulaiman, urges all districts and cities across Indonesia to intensify pump irrigation by utilizing nearby water sources, whether from rivers or reservoirs, for agricultural irrigation. This initiative aims to anticipate the prolonged extreme weather conditions of El Nino, which have persisted since 2023. Currently, approximately 40 reservoirs have been constructed by the government across several provinces, including one in Aceh, one in Lampung, and two in Banten. Furthermore, there are four reservoirs in West Java, seven in East Java, two in Bali, five in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), three in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), one in South Kalimantan, and two each in South Sulawesi (Sulsel) and Southeast Sulawesi (Sultra).
Amran emphasizes that the construction of these reservoirs aims to expedite planting activities in March. Additionally, the government has collaborated with various parties, including the Indonesian Army, to strengthen the water system using pumps and pipes. Furthermore, Amran mentions rain-fed rice fields covering an area of 2,154,291 hectares that can be optimized with pump systems. The national demand for pumps is approximately 215,429 units, covering a service area of 275,480 hectares. Pump irrigation is considered a swift solution to address El Nino in various regions, and this pump system will be integrated with solar-powered agricultural machinery packages and free seeds for farmers willing to accelerate planting in the second planting season of March 2024. This collective effort aims to maximize domestic production, reducing dependence on import policies in the future.
