T

he Jambi Agriculture and Food Crop Agency has asked the Agriculture Ministry to provide insurance coverage for farmland prone to drought and harvest failure.

Agency head Amrin Aziz said the ministry had earlier expressed its intention to help farmers in the province whose fields had been affected by this year'€™s long dry season by providing their farmland with insurance from private companies.

'€œWe have asked for insurance assistance at around Rp 7.5 million (about US$535) per hectare to compensate losses triggered by severe drought, and Rp 3 million for every hectare of farmland that has experienced harvest failure,'€ Amrin said.

Almost all farmland in Jambi had been suffering from the water shortage, Amrin said. Among the worst-hit regions were Sarolangun, Merangin, Kerinci and Muarojambi regencies.

While the dry season normally occurs from April to September, the El Niño weather phenomenon is predicted to extend the dry season until the end of the year.

Based on data from the Jambi Agriculture Agency, 7,800 hectares of farmland in the province has been affected by the drought, with 292 hectares of them having experienced harvest failure.