The Indonesian government is moving forward with measures to combat drought caused by El Niño, expecting the dry season to reach its peak severity in August. It has stockpiled rice reserves at 5.3 million tons, a record high, to maintain food security.
On 19 June 2026, Indonesia's Ministry of Agriculture announced that the government is accelerating efforts to prevent impacts from the El Niño phenomenon, which is expected to cause severe drought. The country's dry season will reach its most intense phase in August.
Suwandi, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Agriculture, stated that authorities are coordinating with local governments nationwide to establish early warning systems and drought mitigation measures, such as repairing irrigation systems, surveying and managing water sources, installing additional water pumps, and conducting cloud seeding or weather modification. The government aims to install enough pumps to irrigate an additional 1 million hectares by the end of July, increasing the total irrigated farmland nationwide to about 3 million hectares.
Furthermore, officials are encouraging farmers to adopt drought-resistant crop varieties, adjust planting schedules to match weather conditions, and participate in agricultural insurance programs to reduce risks from potential damages. At the same time, Indonesia is accelerating the accumulation of rice reserves to prepare for emergencies. Currently, the National Logistics Agency holds rice stocks of 5.3 million tons, the highest level in the country's history.
Source: ChinaDaily