Government steps up wildfire response to protect food output

The government is stepping up efforts to handle forest and land fires to protect national food production, with special attention on agricultural areas threatened during the dry season. Deputy Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Hanif Faisol Nurofiq inspected wildfire response operations in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, on Friday, October 30. As a precaution, the government is also strengthening irrigation and pump systems to reduce the risk of disruptions to rice production. A day earlier, Home Affairs Minister Muhammad Tito Karnavian asked all regional leaders to ban land clearing by burning during wildfire emergency conditions, while reinforcing coordination with Forkopimda, TNI, Polri, and community leaders so no new fire hotspots emerge.