JAKARTA, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia's rice production is expected to remain stable despite the risk of El Nino-triggered drought later this year, Deputy Agriculture Minister Sudaryono said on Monday.
Sudaryono said the authorities had taken early steps after receiving climate risk assessments from the Agency for Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysics. "Currently, we are focused on ensuring production does not decline," he added.
He said the government has prepared preventive measures, including water pumping, pipeline installations and drilled wells, to keep farmland productive during the dry season.
The government is also seeking to increase the national cropping index to maximize planting and harvesting cycles, while maintaining adequate rice reserves as a contingency measure. ■
