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JAKARTA - Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman emphasized that the threat of the Godzilla El Nino phenomenon is not a problem for Indonesia, because the government's  rice reserve stock (CBP) managed by Perum Bulog is projected to reach 5 million tons in the next three days.

Amran said that the current CBP stock reached 4.9 million tons, the highest in Indonesia's history, making national food security safe in the face of global geopolitics and extreme drought due to the Godzilla El Nino phenomenon.

"If this impact, there is an El Nino Godzilla, it's not a problem. Why is it not a problem? Because our stock (CBP) is 5 million tons in the next three days, the highest during the Republic's independence," said the Minister of Agriculture after meeting with 170 regents throughout Indonesia at the Ministry of Agriculture's Office in Jakarta, quoted by Antara, Tuesday, April 21.

Amran emphasized that despite the drought, rice stocks were almost double compared to previous years, making the government optimistic that there would be no food crisis even though it would face global dynamics and climate change.

"It used to be (CBP stock) reached 2.6 million tons (in) 1984, now it has almost doubled," he said.

In addition to the well-managed reserves in the Perum Bulog warehouse, the availability of national rice is supported by standing crops or rice that is ready to be harvested, which is projected to reach 11 million tons, to strengthen food security amid the potential impact of El Nino.

The government also noted that the availability of rice in the Horeka sector (Hotels, Restaurants, Cafes/Catering) reached 12.5 million tons, so that the total reserve of managed rice is very large and can meet the needs for up to 11 months.

The total potential combined stock between government warehouses, standing crops, and the Horeka sector is estimated to exceed consumption needs, providing a very solid food security guarantee for all Indonesian people.

With the estimated impact of El Nino predicted to last for six months, the government believes that the rice reserves equivalent to 11 months are more than enough to maintain price and supply stability.

"The estimate of El Nino is only six months. Meanwhile, our (rice) reserves (are projected to be able to supply up to) 11 months. This means more than enough," he said.

Regarding maintaining agricultural productivity, the Minister of Agriculture said that his party allocated a budget of around Rp. 5 trillion for irrigation programs through pumping and superior seed assistance as a strategic step to face the potential for drought due to the Godzilla El Nino phenomenon.

Of the total budget, the government has allocated more than Rp3 trillion specifically for strengthening irrigation infrastructure, including pumping and optimizing water sources for agricultural land in drought-prone areas.

In addition, the government is also implementing a new rice paddy printing program covering 30 thousand hectares to expand the planting area and gradually increase the capacity of national food production.

The strengthened irrigation program covers land management of up to 1.5 million hectares throughout Indonesia through various methods, including pumping, river utilization, ponds and other water sources.

In its implementation, the government has opened registration for water pump assistance of 80 thousand units which are targeted to be able to reach approximately 1 million hectares of dry-affected rice fields.

Apart from pumping, the government has also allocated around Rp2 trillion for the provision of superior drought-resistant seeds to support the increase in crop index in various regions.

The seeds are designed to speed up the growing period and allow farmers to increase the frequency of planting from one to two to three times a year.

Source : voi