Sumatra Floods Damage 11,000 Hectares of Rice Fields

December 12, 2025 | 12:40 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Ministry of Agriculture has reported that at least 11,000 hectares of paddy fields have suffered severe damage or total crop failure following the recent Sumatra floods. "All of that will be redeveloped, and the government will be the one working on it," said Minister of Agriculture Amran Sulaiman in a written statement on Thursday, December 11, 2025.

Amran stated that the Ministry of Agriculture will swiftly restore the damaged agricultural land through a re-planting program. He specifically highlighted the coffee plantation areas, confirming that the ministry will also carry out replanting for damaged coffee fields in Aceh.

He emphasized that the recovery of agricultural land is a government priority, essential for restoring the livelihoods of farmers and maintaining national food security. "We will monitor and immediately provide assistance. God willing, we will resolve the agricultural sector," he added.

The catastrophic floods and landslides struck three provinces in Sumatra starting Tuesday, November 25, 2025. As of December 11, 2025, data from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) shows the total death toll has reached 990 people, with 225 others missing and over 5,000 residents injured.

These figures span 52 affected regencies or cities in the three provinces. Aceh remains the most severely affected province with 407 fatalities, followed by North Sumatra (343 deaths) and West Sumatra (240 fatalities).

Ivanovich Agusta, a lecturer in the Faculty of Human Ecology at IPB University, noted that the Sumatra disaster caused damage not just to infrastructure but also generated profound social implications that are often overlooked by the public in the post-disaster phase.

"Disasters not only damage the physical homes but also the social systems that maintain the cohesion and identity of the villages," he said in a written statement on Thursday, December 11, 2025.

According to Ivanovich, affected communities experience a sudden disruption in social structures and relationships between residents. A primary impact is social dislocation: the disappearance of communal spaces like village halls, mosques, markets, and roads that serve as centers for community interaction.

When these spaces vanish, the rhythm of village life is interrupted, and interaction and communication weaken, thereby testing social solidarity. Furthermore, the flash floods and landslides trigger significant psychosocial pressure in the form of fear, trauma, and uncertainty about the future, leading to a decline in work enthusiasm and participation in social life.

Ivanovich also highlighted the disruption of vital village social institutions. Farmers' planting schedules, farmer group activities, savings groups, integrated health posts, and religious activities have been temporarily halted due to damage to the infrastructure and limited access to the affected areas.

Irsyan Hasyim contributed to the report.

Read: Sumatra Floods Death Toll Climbs to 990

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