APD | Drought and wildfires take a toll on Indonesian crops

**By APD writer Rishika Chauhan **

According to recent reports, droughts as well as smoke from wildfires are adversely affecting Indonesian agriculture.

Primarily, crops like palm plantations, rubber trees and rice fields are affected, which might make their supply less this season.

The long summer season in the region has dried the plants. Moreover, since Indonesia is the world’s largest producer of palm oil and the second largest of rubber, there would be a shortage of the crops this year.

The illegal burning of grasslands to clear them has also become a cause of concern, as the smoke rising from the burning affect the crops.

This smoke is also causing lung related diseases across Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo has asked the authorities to take strict action against those burning the grasslands.

The situation has also caused a decrease in the production of palm oil fruit by half, this year.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)