JAKARTA: Indonesia has earmarked over three trillion Indonesian rupiah (around US$175 million) to bolster the irrigation system ahead of a forecasted prolonged dry season, the country's Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said Tuesday (April 21).
Amran said the programme targets 1.5 million hectares of farmland. It focusses on strengthening infrastructure, optimising land use and deploying water pumps.
Despite the climate outlook, Amran said that national food stocks remain sufficient for 11 months, well beyond the projected six-month duration of the El Nino phenomenon.
The minister stressed that the programme's success hinges on coordination between central and regional governments to safeguard food security and protect farmers' livelihoods. - Xinhua
