Indonesia Assures Food Stock Security Amid Widespread Drought

Indonesia's Minister of Agriculture, Amran Sulaiman, stated that approximately 30,000 hectares of farmland have been impacted by drought across the country. However, he assured that this situation has not disrupted national food stock availability. Sulaiman explained that the affected land constitutes less than one percent of Indonesia's total agricultural area. The Ministry of Agriculture has deployed teams to address the drought's impact, including in Central Java. "If drought across Indonesia, the total last data is 30 thousand hectares. That's 0.01 or 0.003," Amran said. Mitigation measures include water pumping and irrigation system enhancements to maintain water supply to agricultural lands. Despite the drought affecting several regions, Amran confirmed that national food stocks, particularly rice and corn, are secure and expected to last until the March harvest next year. The Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) in Central Java reported that 25 regencies/cities were affected by the dry season as of July 24, 2026, impacting 83 sub-districts and 148 villages. Eleven of these have declared a drought emergency alert status. BPBD Central Java has distributed 6.8 million liters of clean water to affected areas, with approximately 40 million liters still available. Other agencies, including the TNI, Polri, and the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI), are also prepared to assist in water distribution.