Severe drought in Indonesia prompts rice farmers to switch to less water-intensive corn

(Bloomberg, JAKARTA) Indonesia is suffering its worst dry season since 2019, with some rice farmers turning to corn and other less water-intensive crops, and rice shortages in Asia could worsen. Subang Town, West Java Province, Indonesia is one of the main rice-producing areas in the country. Yadi, chairman of the local Andalan Fishermen and Farmers Association, said that in order to cope with the severe drought, local farmers have no longer planted rice and other grains, and instead planted cabbage and peppers and watermelon and other crops. Indonesia's agriculture ministry estimates that more than 200,000 hectares of the country's 7.5 million hectares of paddy fields may not be harvestable this year. At the same time, growing local maize prices has been rising due to higher demand for animal feed, making it more attractive to farmers . Rice is a crop that consumes a lot of water. A monthly rainfall of 200 millimeters is required to flourish. In contrast, corn only needs about 85 ...