Extreme weather blamed for drop in PDRB

BANDARLAMPUNG: Lampung’s gross regional product (PDRB) has reportedly plummeted to the lowest level among all the provinces at 8.74 percent, a discouraging trend blamed on extreme weather.

The drop has been recorded in four sectors, with the lowest reported in the agricultural sector, at 21.84 percent.

Lampung Central Statistics Agency (BPS) head Muhammad Razif said the impact of the extreme weather was noticeable as of the fourth quarter in 2011.

“It is not that the PDRB is not growing, but it is sluggish compared to growth in the same period the year before. The delay of the rice-planting season from October to December caused the harvest, which usually occurs in the first quarter, to shift to the second quarter,” Razif said on Wednesday.

In the plantation sector, extreme weather has caused cacao harvest failures from early this year. Nearly 90 percent of cacao pods could not be harvested as their blooms and fruit were destroyed. Farmers are still hopeful, however, that their cacao production will improve in March.

“Fruit would flourish and farmers could earn profits with a small amount of sunshine,” said Lampung Cacao Exporters Association chairman, Djodjo Herwanta.