ID :
15436
Sun, 08/10/2008 - 00:56
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/15436
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OVER 6,700 H OF RICE FARMS FAIL TO YIELD HARVESTABLE RICE
Semarang, Indonesia, Aug 9 (ANTARA) - In the first semester of 2008, about 6,870 hectares of rice fields in Central Java failed to yield harvestable rice as a result of droughts, the head of Central Java's Agriculture Office, Aris Budiono, said.
"But we believe that food crop production will not be disturbed too much because we estimate that rain will fall in October so that farmers can start planting rice again," he said here over the weekend.
Besides, he said, there were also enough reservoirs with adequate water debit. At least eight dams were still holding volumes of water of up to 80 percent of their capacity.
He said the drought this year was relatively less severe than last year. In 2007, 1,340,934 hectares were affected by droughts while in the first semester of this year 27,109 hectares of rice fields were affected.
In Central Java, 26 of the province's 35 districts were hit by drought but only five of them which were seriously affected, namely Sragen, Banyumas, Rembang, Semarang and Boyolali, he added.
The acreage of paddy fields blighted by doughts totaled 3,000 hectares.
"But we believe that food crop production will not be disturbed too much because we estimate that rain will fall in October so that farmers can start planting rice again," he said here over the weekend.
Besides, he said, there were also enough reservoirs with adequate water debit. At least eight dams were still holding volumes of water of up to 80 percent of their capacity.
He said the drought this year was relatively less severe than last year. In 2007, 1,340,934 hectares were affected by droughts while in the first semester of this year 27,109 hectares of rice fields were affected.
In Central Java, 26 of the province's 35 districts were hit by drought but only five of them which were seriously affected, namely Sragen, Banyumas, Rembang, Semarang and Boyolali, he added.
The acreage of paddy fields blighted by doughts totaled 3,000 hectares.
