Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Ministry of Agriculture is encouraging farmers to use adaptive rice varieties to anticipate potential droughts, as the 2026 dry season is predicted to arrive early.

Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman has instructed all regional governments to take immediate anticipatory measures, ranging from mapping drought-prone areas to strengthening early warning systems.

“Farmers need to utilize early-maturing and drought-resistant varieties, such as Inpago 4-13, Inpari 38-46, Situbagendit, Situpatenggang, Padjadjaran, Cakrabuana, or other similar varieties, to maintain production levels during the dry season,” he said in a statement in Jakarta on Sunday.

In addition, the ministry is promoting optimized water management through irrigation, water pumps, and piping, as well as accelerating planting schedules in various rice production hubs.

The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has predicted that the dry season will arrive earlier in several Indonesian regions, including parts of Sumatra, Java, Bali, Nusa Tenggara, southern and eastern Kalimantan, most of Sulawesi, Maluku, and parts of Papua.

“This condition could increase the risk of drought on agricultural land if not anticipated early on,” he warned.

Meanwhile, the head of the Agricultural Assembly and Modernization Agency (BRMP) at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fadjry Djufry, explained that the ministry has developed various superior varieties that are adaptive to drought conditions.

He further said that these varieties are designed to maintain production amid limited water supplies, while also allowing a relatively short harvest cycle.

According to him, the use of these adaptive varieties is a key technological strategy to strengthen the resilience of rice production systems amid shifting climate patterns.

“We are encouraging the wider adoption of these drought-resistant superior varieties, especially in drought-prone areas and rain-fed swamplands, to ensure national rice production remains stable and to strengthen food security,” he emphasized.

Through the BRMP, the Ministry of Agriculture continues to promote technological innovation to bolster the agricultural sector’s resilience against climate change, including the development of adaptive superior varieties and the implementation of appropriate farming techniques.

Translator: Muhammad Harianto, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
Copyright © ANTARA 2026

Published Date: March 15, 2026