INDONESIA (6 June)
Most of the areas normally under the secondary rice crop have been planted. Aggregate paddy production in 2005 is estimated to decline by 1.7 percent from last year to some 53.1 million tonnes, as a resulting from later plantings, some flooding, and the impact of the tsunami of 26 December 2004. But this level is still some 2 percent above the average of the previous five years. The output from the 2005 maize crop is provisionally estimated at some 11.5 million tonnes, some 3 percent higher than last year. The overall food supply situation in Indonesia is satisfactory. The rice import ban will remain in effect through June, 2005. Wheat (no domestic production) imports in 2005/06 are forecast to remain stable at around 4.4 million tonnes, while maize imports are expected slightly lower at 1 million tonnes.
The 26 December 2004 earthquake, tsunami and 29 March 2005 earthquake caused great loss of life, damage and disruption in Indonesia. An FAO/WFP Food Supply and Demand Assessment Mission which visited Aceh Province from 12 through 25 March 2005 found that rice production in 2005/06 would show a surplus of about 200 000 tonnes 400 000 tonnes in a normal year. However, in spite of the overall surplus of rice, many farmers in the most affected coastal areas in Aceh have lost two consecutive paddy seasons (2004/05 main season and 2005 secondary season) completely. In the fisheries sector, 2005 output is estimated to decline by 50 percent for marine fishing and 41 percent for brackish water culture and per capita fish output will be reduced from some 38 kg in a normal year to 20 kg. The livelihoods of some 331 360 working people have been directly affected by the disaster; they are in need of food and other financial assistance in 2005.
Based on the Mission report, almost 30 percent of the population in Aceh Province lived below the poverty line before the tsunami, which is much higher than 17 percent of the national average. Over 35 percent of children under age of 5 were underweight, compared to 25 percent for Indonesia. The disaster has aggravated the livelihoods and nutritional status of the poor. Households most affected by casualties, loss of assets and livelihoods include: inhabitants of the islands/archipelagos of Nias, Simeulue, Nanyak; landless families who previously worked on tambaks and severely damaged lands; full-time or near full-time fishermen; part-time fishermen with paddy fields close to the coastlines; farming families involved in paddy production with major secondary incomes from tambaks, and traditional salt producers.
Almost five months after the disaster, most of Aceh’s 600 000 IDPs still rely on food aid from WFP. In May, some 11 700 tonnes of food, including rice, vegetable oil and canned fish were distributed to some 772 000 beneficiaries throughout Aceh and North Sumatra. For the month of June, the planned beneficiaries figure in Indonesia stands at some 770 000. The school feeding programme is currently being implemented in 9 districts, covering some 156 000 primary school children.
FAO recently distributed 174 tonnes of rice seeds, 1 305 tonnes of fertilizer and 545 hand tractors to help 8 700 families start to plant an initial 5 000 hectares of affected farmland.