Pramono Says Jakarta is Ready to Help Save Food-Producing Areas from El Nino

JAKARTA - DKI Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung revealed that the DKI Provincial Government will help food producing areas to carry out mitigation in the face of the potential of El Nino during the dry season if needed.

Special discussions related to the impact of El Nino have been carried out internally by the DKI Provincial Government. The areas that will receive assistance are areas that have previously cooperated to meet the food supply in the Capital.

Pramono admitted that Jakarta as a consumption area still depends on supplies from other regions to meet food needs, including rice and other major commodities. Therefore, the stability of production in partner areas is crucial.

"Of course, if there is a problem with El Nino and then it has an impact on the area, the DKI Jakarta Government will provide assistance, one of which is pumps and so on. Why is this being done? So that production is maintained," said Pramono at the DKI Jakarta City Hall, Friday, April 17.

In addition to maintaining domestic food production, the Provincial Government has also strengthened imported food stocks. For example, for meat commodities, Pramono has approved the addition of live cattle imports through BUMD Dharma Jaya.

"I have agreed with Dharma Jaya to increase the import of cattle from Australia which yesterday had sent approximately 3,000, this time from the 7,500 target I allow to be immediately included," said Pramono.

According to him, the availability of stocks in Jakarta must be ensured early to avoid supply disruptions. "It's better to have stocks in Jakarta than to have to wait outside," he continued.

Previously, the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) stated that the current global climate condition is still in the neutral phase with the ENSO (El Nino-Southern Oscillation) index of around +0.28. However, in the second semester of 2026, this condition has the potential to develop into a weak to moderate El Nino with a chance of reaching 50-80 percent.

The head of BMKG, Teuku Faisal Fathani, explained that the dry season and El Nino are two different phenomena that do not always occur simultaneously. However, if the two intersect, the impact can exacerbate drought in a number of regions in Indonesia.

"It needs to be understood that drought and El Nino are two different phenomena. Drought still occurs every year, but if El Nino is present at the same time, then the drought condition will be much drier," said Faisal in a coordination meeting at the Ministry of Public Works, Jakarta, Monday, April 13.

He emphasized that the potential for drier conditions in 2026 needs to be anticipated early on, especially in the management of water resources so that there is no inequality between flooding when there is excess and drought when there is a shortage.