BRIN Suggests Farmers Change Rice To Pajale Face El Nino

Residents herded goats at the bottom of the Botok Reservoir that dried up in the villages of Mojodoyong, Kedawung, Sragen, Central Java, Wednesday (30/8/2023) BETWEEN PHOTOS/Mohammad Ayudha/rwa.

JAKARTA - Expert Researcher at the Center for Climate Research and Atmospheric Research and National Innovation Agency (BRIN) Eddy Hermawan advised farmers to replace rice plants that are usually grown into gogo, corn, and soybean rice (pajale) as a form of anticipation for the impact of El Nino.

"If by the end of this year the signs of rain are still far away, then I prefer to replace the plants that used to be rice to be pajale," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, August 30.

Eddy said the pajale plant is quite strong against dry conditions due to reduced water supply.

BRIN also reviewed the cultivation of rice on peatlands in order to be able to meet people's food needs. However, this option still has to be taken into account from various aspects.

He predicts that El Nino's condition, which triggers a long dry season for almost a year, will increase Indonesia's food import quota.

"El Nino starts in May 2023 and peaks at the end of November or early December. If it is the perfect cycle, then it will return to normal or neutral at the end of March, April, and May 2024. So, it's almost a year," said Eddy.

He revealed that there are only three phenomena that can stop the impact of El Nino, namely the Asian Monsoon, the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), and the Madden 'Julian Oscillation (MJO) in the Indian Ocean.

If the formation of the three phenomena is different from time, then El Nino will continue to exist and exacerbate drought in many regions.

Eddy advised the government to pay attention and be aware of food center areas with a monsunal rainfall type from Jakarta, Semarang, Pekalongan, Pemalang, to Surabaya.

In addition, reservoirs that are water reservoirs must also be monitored because several dams have decreased their water discharge, such as the Katulampa Dam in Bogor City, West Java; and several other dams in Central Java.

"Therefore, from now on, we are thinking about massive water savings," concluded Eddy.