Government Sends Free Seeds To Overcome 28 Thousand Hectares Of Rice Fields In The Aftermath Of The Sumatra-Aceh Disaster

Photos of flooded rice fields in Labu Beach District, Deli Serdang Regency, North Sumatra, Sunday (9/11/2025). (ANTARA PHOTO/Yudi Manar/tom.)

JAKARTA - Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said the government would immediately distribute free seed assistance to farmers whose rice fields experienced puso or crop failure due to floods and landslides in Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra.

He explained that the Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) team began to be deployed today to work and compile a list of areas receiving seed assistance.

"Those who experience puso rice fields, we send free seed assistance from the center. The team immediately went down starting today at work," Amran said at a press conference in Jakarta, Tuesday, which was confiscated by Antara.

According to him, because it is currently in the rainy season, these seeds can be planted by farmers immediately.

"The total rice fields that were flooded and experienced puso in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra reached 28 thousand hectares," he said, explaining.

In addition to seeds, Amran said the government would also provide agricultural equipment assistance for farmers in need.

"If he needs equipment, he has no tools, we will give him tractor equipment," he said.

On the same occasion, Amran said that he guaranteed that there would be no food shortages in disaster-affected areas in Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra. He said he had coordinated directly with the Minister of Home Affairs to ensure food availability, especially rice in the three provinces.

There will be no shortage of food. We guarantee that," he said.

He added that the government through Bulog is ready to fulfill every demand for rice from affected areas. The Ministry of Agriculture and Bulog team have been at a number of points to ensure distribution runs smoothly.

"We immediately said to remove the rice as requested. To this day, the total demand has reached 40 thousand tons," said Amran.

Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Suwandi, previously said that around 27,000 hectares of rice fields in Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra were affected by flooding. Of this amount, 385 hectares of rice planted rice experienced puso or crop failure.

Meanwhile, there are 200 hectares of corn land that cannot be harvested due to disasters.