D

espite fertilizer shortages and extensive flooding in East Java recently, the province's rice production will remain in surplus, a local official says.

Referring to an instruction issued recently by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, provincial agriculture office secretary Achmad Firman said here on Tuesday that East Java had some 1.7 million hectares of farmland in 22 regencies including Jember, Lumajang, Bojonegoro and Lamongan, of which 15,900 hectares had been damaged by floods over the past three months.

"We are optimistic that the provincial rice stocks will remain in surplus at 4 million tons this year," Achmad said, adding that the total area of flood-affected farmland was less than the total areas affected in 2008.

Achmad also said that the distribution of subsidized fertilizer had reached more farmers, in 38 regencies and municipalities East Java this year.

During his recent visit to Lamongan, the President asked newly appointed Governor Soekarwo to work closely with regional heads to safeguard the provincial rice production.

While there had been irregularities, smuggling and manipulations in the distribution of subsidized fertilizer during the recent plant ing season, Achmad said, all fertilizer confiscated from smugglers had been distributed to the intended recipients. Some farmers had also reverted to using compost to fertilize their crops, he said.

The provincial government had distributed 1 million tons of subsidized Urea, 384,600 tons of ZA and 280 tons of NPK, he said, adding that this was only slightly short of demand levels in the recent planting season.

Separately, a Lamongan administration official, Sutrisno, said the recent floods had damaged more than 1,000 hectares of paddy crops in the Kali Tengah district and had inundated 311 houses in the regency.