PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - The West Java Provincial Government remains optimistic that rice production in 2026 will increase compared to 2025, despite flooding in several rice fields at the beginning of the year, such as in Karawang, Bekasi and Indramayu.

The Head of the West Java Province Food Crops and Horticulture Service (DTPH), Dadan Hidayat, said that a number of programs have been prepared to anticipate crop failure due to flooding, one of which is replanting.

"If there's a flood disaster and crop failure occurs, we will replant. However, initial damage data is still being prepared. Assistance will be provided by the central government based on our proposals, which are also based on reports from the districts and cities," he said on Thursday (February 5, 2026).

Special attention from the central and provincial governments is given to achieving the annual food self-sufficiency target. In 2025, West Java made an optimal contribution to achieving national food self-sufficiency.

Dadan stated that the first harvest this year will take place from February to March 2026, which is the result of planting in October-December 2025. He is optimistic that rice production in 2026 will increase compared to 2025, based on preliminary data on planting realization.

"According to reports, the actual planting in 2026, calculated from October to December, has reached 592,176 hectares, an increase of 55,000 hectares, or almost 10 percent, compared to the same period the previous year," Dadan added.

According to him, farmers are also enthusiastic about planting because the harvest will definitely be purchased at a high price according to the Government Purchase Price (HPP).

The government has set the HPP for harvested dry unhusked rice (GKP) at Rp6,500 per kg in 2026. This policy was implemented by the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) to maintain price stability for farmers and as a safety net, with a target of absorbing 4 million tons of rice equivalent for 2026.

The Central Statistics Agency also estimates that rice production in West Java in 2026 will increase compared to 2025. The potential rice production in West Java during the January-March 2026 period is estimated to reach 2.48 million tons, or an increase of 0.45 million tons (22.32 percent) compared to 2025 which reached 2.03 million tons.