1,000 Hectares Of Rice Fields In Karawang Hit By Drought

Illustration of drought (ANTARA/Ali Khumaini/doc)

KARAWANG - The Department of Agriculture and Food Security in Karawang Regency, West Java, said that more than 1,000 hectares of rice fields experienced drought during the long dry season as a result of the El Nino phenomenon.

"The impact of the dry season is inevitable. Yes, now there are many rice fields that are drought," said Asep Hazar, Head of the Agriculture and Food Security Service, asep Hazar, as reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, August 23.

He said the rice fields hit by drought were scattered in a number of sub-districts around Karawang. However, the most are in Banyusari and Pakisjaya sub-districts.

For rice fields in other sub-districts such as in Batujaya, Rawamerta, Tirtajaya, Rengasdengklok, Cibuaya, Pedes, Kutawaluya, and other sub-districts that experience drought only per spot.

The drought in Banyusari and Pakisjaya sub-districts is quite large, in one unit hundreds of hectares of rice fields.

Asep Hazar said his party had coordinated with Jasa Tirta II Jatiluhur regarding water supply in irrigation canals. Now in some areas, the water supply is quite safe.

However, it can only be used to irrigate rice fields that are close to irrigation canals. To irrigate rice fields that are far from irrigation, farmers still have to use pumps.

In anticipating the impact of El Nino, the Karawang Agriculture and Food Security Service took a number of steps.

In addition to coordinating with Jasa Tirta II Jatiluhur, his party also expanded new planting areas, also carried out acceleration movements for the planting period, increased planting index, mechanization, and optimization of pumps and reservoirs.

Another precautionary effort made is to use superior rice varieties that are resistant to dry conditions.

Meanwhile, to overcome drought in the future, the Department of Agriculture and Food Security will strive to focus on handling irrigation canals and developing reservoirs.