Forward Rainy Season, BMKG Calls Can Dongkrak National Food Production

BMKG Deputy for Climatology Ardhasena Sopaheliwakan at a press conference at the MHEWS BMKG Building, Kemayoran, Jakarta, Friday (12/9/2025). (Doc. ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The progress of the start of the rainy season in a number of parts of Indonesia is assessed by the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) as being able to be used by farmers to accelerate the planting period while strengthening national food security.

BMKG Deputy for Climatology Ardhasena Sopaheliwakan at a press conference in Jakarta, Friday night, said that around 42 percent of the season zone areas in Indonesia are expected to enter the rainy season faster than usual conditions when compared to the 1991 '2020 climatological average.

"This is a good opportunity to advance the start of the next planting season so that food security efforts can be stronger," he said, as reported by ANTARA, Saturday, September 13.

The rainy season is expected to take place from August 2025 to April 2026. Meanwhile, the peak of the rainy season is expected to take place in November 2025 in most Sumatra and Kalimantan, as well as January 2026 February in Java, Sulawesi, Maluku and Papua.

BMKG announced that as many as 79 season zones or 11.3 percent are predicted to enter the rainy season in September 2025, covering most of North Sumatra, parts of Riau, northern West Sumatra, western Jambi, northern Bengkulu, southern Bangka Belitung, South Sumatra, small parts of Java, South Kalimantan and parts of South Papua.

A total of 149 season zones or another 21.3 percent are predicted to enter the rainy season in October 2025, which includes parts of Lampung, most of Java, Bali, parts of West Nusa Tenggara, southern Sulawesi and central Papua.

Meanwhile, another 15 percent of the season zones will start experiencing the rainy season in November 2025, which includes most of West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara, central and southeast Sulawesi, parts of Maluku, parts of West Papua, and parts of Papua.

"In other words, the majority of Indonesia's territory is predicted to face the rainy season faster than usual compared to the average climatological 1991 2020," he said.

Ardhasena added that the nature of rain during the 2025/2026 rainy season is generally expected to be normal, namely in the normal category of 69.5 percent, meaning that seasonal rainfall is not much different from usual.

Then there is about 27.6 percent of the season zone area will experience above normal rain, including most of West Java and Central Java.

"If the amount of rain that falls can be managed properly in the food center area, this condition is actually an opportunity that supports agricultural activities," he said.

A number of recommendations

Head of BMKG Dwikorita Karnawati on the same occasion provided several important recommendations for agricultural - plantation sector players to minimize the risk of crop failure and maintain existing opportunities from this rainy season.

Farmers are advised to choose varieties of plants that are resistant to puddles and adjust the planting schedule as recommended in their respective regions.

In addition, he said, government support is also very much needed, including in the form of providing spare seeds, agricultural insurance and maintaining an irrigation system - drainage to function optimally considering the potential for extreme rainfall to fall at any time and briefly.

For plantation sector players, they must pay intensive attention to controlling pests and diseases to anticipate high humidity, then adjust the pattern of fertilization to reduce nutrition laundering due to high rainfall.

With these steps, Dwikorita hopes that the agricultural and plantation sectors can maintain productivity while strengthening national food security during this rainy season.