Kementan prepares 56,000 water pumps for 2026 drought

The Ministry of Agriculture is preparing 56,000 water pump units in the 2026 fiscal year to reduce the impact of drought and maintain food production during the dry season. Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said the pumping program is being used to keep rice fields supplied with water from rivers and other surface water sources amid the threat of climate change and the experience of El Nino in recent years. Director General of Agricultural Infrastructure and Facilities Andi Nur Alam Syah said about 11,000 units have already been distributed, while another 20,000 units are still being delivered based on requests from local governments. Priority will go to rice production centers that still have access to rivers, retention ponds, reservoirs, or irrigation channels.