Kupastuntas.co, Bandar Lampung - The Lampung Province Food Crops and Horticulture Food Security Service (KPTPH) noted that 2,952 hectares of rice plants were flooded, and 630.8 hectares experienced puso or crop failure.

The Head of the Lampung Province KPTPH Office, Kusnardi explained, the land was flooded and experienced puso that occurred from January to March 2023. This was due to the high intensity of rain that occurred in several areas.

"In January, 230 hectares of rice fields were flooded and 160 hectares is puso or failed to harvest. In February, 117 hectares were flooded and 82 hectares failed to harvest. And in March, 2,605 hectares of rice fields were flooded and 388.8 hectares failed to harvest," said Kusnardi, Thursday (30/3/23).

Kusnardi said the flooded rice plants were in West Lampung, South Lampung, Central Lampung, East Lampung, North Lampung, Mesuji, Pringsewu, Tanggamus, Tulang Bawang and Way Kanan.

He revealed, farmers who experience crop failure will get assistance with replacing seeds through the national seed reserves and regional seed reserves. Currently, the Lampung provincial government has 24 tons of seed reserves ready to be distributed to farmer groups.

"Then for farmers who have registered their paddy fields with AUTP or Jasindo insurance, they will be assisted to submit insurance claims. So this is important when farmers are registered with insurance," he said.

In an effort to deal with flooding, his party will carry out guidance and escort for natural disasters and plant-disturbing organisms (OPT) by BPTPH Lampung Province officers in each sub-district.

He appealed to farmers to apply location-specific cropping patterns, by looking at the start of the rainy season and rainfall patterns and paying attention to the selection of commodities or varieties and planting time.

"Then the use of compost or organic matter must also be carried out to improve soil structure. Then follow the development of information on climate forecasts and alertness for natural disasters from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG)," he said.

Kusnardi explained, BPTPH Lampung has also distributed assistance in the form of 190 water pumps to 12 regencies/cities through Plant Pest Organism Control Officers (POPT) and farmer group leaders.

"The pumps are loan-to-use assistance. Pumps can be used to deal with floods by pumping water out of the land. During times of drought, pumps can also be used to distribute water to the land," he explained.

Deputy Chairman of Commission II of the Regional People's Representative Council (DPRD) of Lampung Province, I Made Bagiasa appealed to farmers to join farmer groups and register their land for insurance.

"This insurance is really needed when farmers experience a disaster such as their land being flooded. To anticipate losses, farmers can apply for assistance as compensation," he said.

He also asked the local government to pay attention and anticipate so that crop failures do not continue so that grain production in Lampung does not decrease.

"As we know that Lampung is a grain-producing area, so this must be maintained so that production does not decrease. What needs to be anticipated is that during the rainy season there will be flooding and during the dry season there will be drought," he said. (*)

This news has been published in the Kupas Tuntas daily newspaper edition of Friday 31 March 2023 with the title "630 Hectares of Rice Plantation in Lampung Puso"