Rice Production in Aceh Has Dropped Far, Food Security Is Confused

Aceh is included in the 10 rice producing provinces, but its productivity continues to decline.

The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI. The original article can be found in Produksi Padi di Aceh Turun Jauh, Ketahanan Pangan Limbung

KOMPAS/ZULKARNAINI

The paddy fields in Alue Ie Mirah Village, Nibong District, North Aceh Regency, Aceh Province, on Sunday (18/6/2023), suffered from drought due to lack of water supply. The drought was caused by the slow construction of the Krueng Pase dam. Thousands of farmers are unable to cultivate their fields.

BANDA ACEH, KOMPAS - Rice production in Aceh Province has significantly decreased from 2015 to 2022. In addition to the reduced acreage of paddy fields, the influence of climate change, natural disasters, land use changes, and a lack of agricultural infrastructure have become contributing factors. Without serious handling, Aceh's food security will eventually waver.

Based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) of Aceh, in 2015, rice production in the province amounted to 2,331,046 tons with a harvest area of 461,060 hectares. However, in 2022, the production experienced a significant drop to 1,509,456 tons. The planting area also decreased to 271,750 hectares.

Agriculture lecturer from Malikussaleh University in Lhokseumawe, Selvi Handayani, was contacted on Thursday (8/2/2024) saying that currently farmers are faced with many issues causing the productivity of rice to continuously decline. Ironically, these problems have yet to be solved, leading to worsened livelihoods for farmers and agricultural activities.

Also read: Floods in North Aceh Submerge 4,900 Hectares of Rice Fields, Threaten Harvest Failure

Selvi added that classic problems that have yet to be resolved include the scarcity of subsidized fertilizer availability, expensive medications, and the difficulty for farmers to obtain certified seeds.

On the other hand, natural disasters such as floods and droughts have repeatedly hit farmers, making them unable to produce optimally.

"This condition is causing our rice production to decrease and the lives of farmers to become increasingly difficult. The price of rice is high, but those who benefit are not the farmers," said Selvi.

The North Aceh Regency is the area most frequently affected by natural disasters such as floods and droughts. Every time a flood occurs, farmers experience reduced harvest yields or a decrease in the quality of their crops. The failure of crops results in losses for farmers and a decline in rice production in Aceh.

For example, in 2022, floods caused 3,611 hectares of rice fields in the district to suffer crop failure. If an average of 7 tons per hectare is produced, then around 25,277 tons of potential rice production is lost. If calculated in terms of money, with a selling price of IDR 5,000 per kilogram, the potential lost income is around IDR 162 million.

Also read: World Rice Production Threatened by Climate Change

ZULKARNAINI

Workers are plowing rice fields in the Blang Bintang area of Aceh Besar Regency, Aceh, on Tuesday (12/5/2020).

A farmer in Baktiya Barat Village, Baktiar, was contacted on Thursday and reported that his rice fields are currently experiencing extreme drought. Rice that is one week old is now at risk of dying due to lack of water supply.

"There has been no rain and the dam is damaged. The rice fields have already dried up, making life difficult for the farmers. Now, we must buy rice," said Baktiar.

Acting Governor of Aceh, Achmad Marzuki, expressed his concern to Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman during a meeting with agricultural extension workers in Aceh Besar district on Tuesday (6/2/2024). Marzuki stated that rice harvests in Aceh have been declining in recent years. Despite this, Aceh remains one of the national food barns. However, if production continues to decline, Aceh could drop out of the top 10 provinces that produce rice.

"In 2023, the production (of rice) achieved by this province would be 1.4 million tons of unhusked rice. This year's production has declined due to the influence of weather and infrastructure," said Marzuki.

SRI REJEKI

Two women stack the harvested rice before it is threshed with a rice threshing machine in their paddy field in Jangka area, Bireuen Regency, Aceh, in 2003.

Marzuki stated that not all agricultural areas possess a representative irrigation system. At the same time, climate change triggers droughts and natural disasters such as flooding, causing the residents' paddy fields to experience failed harvests.

"There are many locations that can be built with dams and irrigation systems, but only a few have been built, compounded with environmental damage and the impact of climate change," said Marzuki.

Marzuki explained that inadequate infrastructure is a barrier to boosting agricultural production. That is why he asked the Minister of Agriculture to assist in the development of sufficient infrastructure.

tetapi tengkulak atau spekulan yang memanfaatkan kesempatan ini. Hal ini dapat membuat petani semakin terpuruk di tengah kondisi sulit seperti ini. This situation is causing our rice production to decline and the lives of farmers are becoming more difficult. The price of rice is high, but those who are benefitting are not the farmers, but the middlemen or speculators who are taking advantage of the situation. This could further plunge the farmers in this difficult situation.

In the same occasion, Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman stated that the increase in rice and corn production is the government's priority in strengthening national food resilience.

KOMPAS/ZULKARNAINI

Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman (center) is planting corn on land owned by Kodam Iskandar Muda Aceh, on Tuesday (6/2/2024). The Ministry of Agriculture is targeting Indonesia to be able to export corn again.

Amran stated that in order to boost production, the government is increasing the budget for fertilizer subsidies and infrastructure for Indonesian farmers. The government, according to Amran, is responsive to complaints about difficulties in obtaining fertilizer.

Amran added that after being reappointed as the Minister of Agriculture, he made adjustments to the budget for activities that directly benefit farmers, such as distributing free seeds, providing production equipment, and building tertiary irrigation.

Also read: Farmers are Increasingly Aging and Experiencing Guremization