In December, in Indonesia's rice fields, soldiers bent over the damp soil to transplant rice. The order to help the local peasants had come from above. The president, Joko Widodo, wanted to take advantage of the rains that finally followed a long period of drought. "The harvest has been delayed because of El Niño, but we want to plant, plant, plant immediately," he said during a visit to central Java.
In several countries, drought has delayed planting for the 2024 harvest. In Indonesia, the world's fourth-largest producer, the area planted from September to November fell by 54% compared to the previous year. This cereal, 90% of whose production is concentrated in Asia, is the focus of concern in many countries. It is the staple food of nearly 4 billion people around the world, especially in Asia and in a growing number of African countries that import most of the rice consumed by their populations. The...
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