Indonesia: Farmers in West Manggarai are asked to plant secondary crops to face the impact of El Nino

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, LABUAN BAJO -- Head of the West Manggarai Regency Horticulture Food Crops and Plantation Service (TPHP) Laurensius Halu asked farmers in the area to plant secondary crops as a substitute for rice in facing the potential impact of drought due to the El Nino phenomenon. "Take advantage of other plants, whether beans, corn or vegetables, don't force it to just be paddy rice. You have to plant it, you can't vacuum it," he said when met in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province, Monday (5/ 2/2024). He admitted that the impact of the El Nino crisis in West Manggarai Regency resulted in low rainfall resulting in a shift in the planting season. He explained that secondary crops or horticultural crops are drought-friendly plants, so they can help farmers who expect rainfall to farm, such as in the Boleng District area. "We hope that there will be sufficient rainfall intensity. This is different from 2021, where it rained earlier since ...