Floods Soak 514.97 Hectare Sawah Farmers In West Aceh

Rice fields belonging to farmers in Deuah Village, Samatiga District, West Aceh Regency, were flooded due to overflowing river flows in the area, Wednesday (11/15/2023). ANTARA/HO

ACEH - The District Government (Pemkab) of West Aceh noted that 514.97 hectares of rice fields owned by farmers spread across 12 sub-districts in this area were flooded. "The impact of this flood has damaged hundreds of hectares of rice fields owned by farmers and failed to plant," said Head of the Agriculture, Food Crops and Horticulture Office of West Aceh Regency, Safrizal in Meulaboh, as reported by Antara, Wednesday, November 15. According to him, of the total flooded rice fields, the largest area of rice fields affected by the flood was in Woyla Barat District, West Aceh Regency with flooded rice fields reaching 193.7 ha. Then, in Arongan Lambalek District, the flood also submerged 90.8 ha of rice fields belonging to farmers, and in Samatiga District, the flood also submerged around 68 ha of rice fields. In Panton Reue District, the flood submerged 35 ha of rice fields, Pante Ceureumen District covering an area of 25 ha, Woyla Timur District covering an area of 20 ha, Woyla District covering an area of 20 ha, and in Kaway XVI District covering an area of 20 ha. The flood also submerged 15 ha of rice fields in Sungai Mas District, West Aceh Regency. Then in Johan Pahlawan District with an area of 7 ha, and in Meureubo District with an area of 1 ha. Safrizal explained that most of the rice fields owned by farmers that were flooded with water levels ranging from 30 centimeters to more than one meter, each growing 1-15 days old. He said that the area of rice fields affected by flooding in West Aceh Regency is still being collected by officials from the local district's Agriculture, Food Crops and Horticulture Office.

"Officers are still collecting data in the field, we hope that the area of rice fields in West Aceh that are flooded will not increase," said Safrizal.