Question: In light of the pandemic, an even heavier burden has been placed on local and national governments. What are realistic measures they can take for surrounding communities facing repeated eruptions such as those of Mt. Sinabung and Mt. Merapi?

Answer: Smallholder farmers, especially, horticulture farmers, are among the hardest hit. Farmers in Sinabung are mostly horticulture farmers apart from coffee farmers, while around Merapi, our focus was on livestock farmers.

The local government’s readiness is key to measure interventions to increase farmers’ resilience, by providing immediate assistance to protect the most vulnerable livestock farmers, to safeguard their most valuable living assets, to maintain communities’ food security as well as maintaining cattle supply at the national level.

From our last visit to both Sleman and Magelang, the local authorities showed how they had learned important lessons from the 2010 Merapi eruption to minimize the impact on communities. They have also applied COVID-19 protocols in the temporary shelters [...] However, the proper contingency plan and action plans that need support from various stakeholders are the key platform of their readiness.

Restrictions on people’s mobility [owing to COVID-19] are curbing farmers’ access to markets and creating labor shortages on the farms. Fresh produce is accumulating, resulting in food loss. Farmers need cash subsidies and access to finance to maintain food production. Banks should temporarily waive fees on farmers’ loans and extend payment deadlines.

The government must bring collection centers closer to smallholder producers and invest in e-commerce to boost the sale of unsold agricultural products.