The Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) is actively ensuring agricultural land across Indonesia, including the Bandung region in West Java. On Sunday, August 13, 2023, Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo inspected the water conditions in the agricultural area of the Citarum Watershed in Bandung Regency, West Java. This assessment is a follow-up to President Joko Widodo's directive to ensure continued agricultural production amidst the prolonged extreme weather conditions caused by El Nino.
"Kementan ensures that agricultural land in the Bandung area is properly irrigated from available sources, including the Citarum Watershed," said the Agriculture Minister. He expressed his hope that farmers could expedite planting patterns using drought-tolerant superior seeds and mechanization technology to strengthen domestic production. The government also offers the People's Business Credit (KUR) program to provide capital access for farmers.
The Director General of Agricultural Infrastructure and Facilities at Kementan, Ali Jamil, emphasized that the national El Nino response will focus on potential land areas, such as increasing crop index areas through mechanization technology. Given that Bandung is a fertile region supporting food commodities in West Java, Ali Jamil mentioned that Kementan, together with local government authorities in Bandung, is collaborating to face El Nino. This collaboration includes expediting planting patterns through mechanization technology.
