Southwest Sumba
Relying on Self-Sufficiency

This year's drought does not upset John Oktavianus. As chief of the Southwest Sumba agricultural service, he reaped the corn and rice during the grand harvest at the Kodi Balaghar Subdistrict in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) last week. The grand harvest also took place in the subdistricts of south, east and central Wewetan. Amazingly, the three-week long drought in January failed to reduce the productivity of the regency's agricultural centers.

John said the rice and corn production this year was greater than the previous years. The harvest this time yielded 5-6 tons of unhusked rice from wet rice fields, 2-3.5 tons of unhusked rice from dry rice fields and 4.5-5 tons of corn. "The food stocks this year are secure," he said.

May 10, 2016