Indonesia’s Joko Widodo orders army to help farmers plant rice amid drought, food security concerns

“It has been delayed due to El Nino, but we want to immediately plant, plant, plant,” he said, standing next to newly-planted rice fields.

Global rice supplies have tightened this year as El Nino, which typically causes hotter and drier weather in Southeast Asia, reduced output in major producing and consuming countries. Prices in Asia’s key export hubs have risen by as much as 45 per cent to their highest in 15 years after India, the world’s top supplier, restricted exports.

Drought has delayed Indonesia’s planting for the 2024 harvest, after the country’s output this year dropped to 30.9 million metric tons from 31.53 million tons a year ago.

Sugiono, a Babinsa officer attending the event, told Jokowi he had joined month-long training on rice planting to help the farmers, according to the video.

Earlier this month, Indonesia’s agriculture minister and its armed forces chief signed a cooperation agreement that includes military personnel helping in farming and utilising idle military land for planting, with seedlings and machinery provided by the farm ministry.

“Some farmers have land but are short of manpower as the farmers are getting older while the younger generations prefer to work in factories, so the armed forces can help with tools and personnel,” said military spokesperson Julius Widjojono.

While typically only one Babinsa is assigned to a village, Widjojono said the officer can map out manpower needs for planting and they would be deployed from nearby military units.

Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman said earlier this month that the involvement of armed forces in the past had helped Indonesia to achieve food self-sufficiency, and renewed cooperation could help the country reduce rice imports.

Indonesia has emerged as one of the top rice importers after state procurement company Bulog was assigned to import 3.5 million tons this year.

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Dams dry up, crops die on Indonesian island resort of Bali as El Nino drought worsens

Dams dry up, crops die on Indonesian island resort of Bali as El Nino drought worsens

This week, Bulog began buying rice through an international tender of up to 534,000 tons, expected to arrive by end-January, European traders said.

Indonesia’s rice-planted area between September and November declined by 53.61 per cent from a year ago, according to farm ministry data. The crops planted in the last quarter of the year usually produce the main harvests for the next year.

Still, Indonesia said it expects rice output to increase to 32 million tons in 2024, while the main harvest in March and April will contribute 10.07 million tons, a 14 per cent increase from this year.