Indonesia Allocates Rp336 Billion for Rice Field Rehabilitation in Sumatra

February 16, 2026 | 10:53 am

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture has allocated a budget of approximately Rp336 billion to accelerate the rehabilitation of flood-affected rice fields in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra. This was announced by the Director General of Agricultural Land and Irrigation at the Ministry of Agriculture, Hermanto.

"The budget will be used to restore rice fields with light to moderate damage so they can quickly return to production and maintain regional food supplies," Hermanto said, as quoted by Antara, Monday, February 16, 2026.

He explained that the program is a follow-up to the rehabilitation program, which began simultaneously on January 15, 2026. Accelerated rehabilitation is part of the government's commitment to maintaining food production and strengthening national food security.

This program is being implemented despite the Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG)'s prediction that rainfall will still be quite high from January to March 2026. "The government's hope going forward is to immediately rehabilitate rice fields and repair damaged irrigation systems so they can be used again by farmers," he said.

He explained that the still-high rainfall in several regions is a factor that must be continuously anticipated in the program's implementation. Hermanto assessed that the current challenge is the continued high-intensity rainfall in several villages in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra. This has impacted rice fields, which should be prepared for mud removal.

This situation has forced the technical team to adjust their handling strategy in the field. "We will conduct a resurvey in the field to identify new sediment/mud deposits, which will affect future management costs, such as sediment removal on the land, in irrigation channels, and so on," he said.

He further explained that the rehabilitation of agricultural irrigation is being combined with the improvement of irrigation infrastructure. This step, Hermanto explained, aligns with the direction of Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman, who directed that land optimization activities for flood-affected rice fields be allocated to 32,000 hectares. Construction activities include land clearing, land preparation, infrastructure repair, cultivation, and land utilization.

Meanwhile, rehabilitation activities for flood-affected rice fields have been allocated to 9.9,000 hectares, with construction components including land clearing, leveling, and land leveling.

In general, the Ministry of Agriculture's interventions focus not only on accelerating physical work but also on strengthening governance, providing technical assistance, and providing regular monitoring and evaluation. The program is implemented with the involvement of local farmers and local governments to ensure that the management is aligned with real-world conditions.

"This approach is expected to restore optimal rice fields, expand planting areas, and improve farmer welfare," he said.

Read: Indonesian Govt Claims Rapid Recovery After Sumatra Floods

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