JAKARTA, Jan 17 (Bernama) -- Indonesia will pay Sumatran farmers daily wages for rehabilitation works carried out on their rice fields affected by recent floods and landslides, Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said.
He said the central government would cover all costs incurred by farmers, including the provision of free seeds, rehabilitation of land, and repairs to damaged irrigation systems, according to ANTARA News.
"Our farmers earn daily income while working on their own fields, while rehabilitation of lands, seeds, and irrigation are fully covered by the central government," he said.
The scheme will cover Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra, where 98,002 hectares of rice fields were damaged by recent floods and landslides. Aceh recorded the largest affected area at 54,233 hectares, followed by North Sumatra (37,318 hectares) and West Sumatra (6,451 hectares).
The minister said the rehabilitation works have begun and will last until February. Priority is given to 13,708 hectares of lightly and moderately damaged land before moving on to severely damaged areas.
-- BERNAMA
