SPECIAL REPORT

FAO/WFP FOOD SUPPLY AND DEMAND ASSESSMENT FOR ACEH PROVINCE AND NIAS ISLAND (INDONESIA)

22 December 2005

• Mission Highlights
• 1. OVERVIEW
• 2. SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONTEXT
• 3. RECOVERY PROGRESS IN AGRICULTURAL AND FISHERY SECTORS
• 4. OVERALL 2005/06 FOOD PRODUCTION AND SUPPLY SITUATION IN NAD
• 5. COMMODITY MARKET ANALYSIS in NAD and NIAS
• 6. LIVELIHOOD AND VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT in NAD and NIAS
• BIBLIOGRAPHY
• ANNEX
• GLOSSARY

Mission Highlights

1. OVERVIEW

Earlier in the year from 12 to 25 March 2005 FAO and WFP conducted a first assessment of food supply and demand in the tsunami affected districts of Aceh Province. The assessment showed that the livelihoods of approximately 600 000 people had been directly affected by the tsunami of 26 December 2004. At the same time rice production was expected to show some 200 000 tonnes surplus for the 2005/06 marketing year (April/March). At that time the recovery effort by the Government and the international community had just begun.

The main objective of this follow-up mission undertaken jointly by FAO and WFP from 7 to 18 November 2005 was, therefore, to determine, after 11 months since tsunami struck, the extent to which people have resumed some form of livelihood which allows them to have sustainable access to markets in order to obtain sufficient and nutritious food. The focus of the Mission was on the extent of agricultural recovery, functioning of markets, and changes in food security, nutrition and vulnerability status of people affected by the tsunami and the role of food aid. The special case of Nias, which was heavily affected by the earthquake on 28 March 2005, is highlighted.

The mission began with briefing meetings and discussions with FAO and WFP representatives and other staff in Jakarta and planned the field visits programme to Aceh. Once in Banda Aceh, the Mission had a series of consultation meetings with government staff (BRR- the Government Agency for Reconstruction of Aceh, Provincial Department of Agriculture, Food Security Agency, and several District Agricultural Officers), the UN/International Agencies (UNDP, UNICEF, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank), and international NGOs (namely World Vision, CARE, Save the Children UK, and IFRC). The mission was divided into two sub-teams, one covering six districts on the west coast and the other travelling to four districts on the east coast plus the island of Nias in North Sumatra. Both teams interviewed traders, millers, farmers, fishermen, and Internally Displaced People (IDPs) living in temporary camps and in barracks or residing with host families. The mission also visited Medan city in North Sumatra, a trading centre that provides an important food trade link to Aceh province. Interview with a wholesaler and a Bulog Official was conducted in addition to a visit to the local market in Medan. On the last day of the mission debriefing with the Deputy Director of Food Security Unit, Indonesia, and the FAO and WFP Representatives and staff was conducted in Jakarta. General findings of the mission are summarized below.

Overall Investment:

Following the December 2004 tsunami disaster, the Government of Indonesia, in collaboration with UN agencies and other partners completed a blueprint for the rehabilitation of the Province, which called for Rp. 41.1 trillion (about US$4.1 billion) over the next five years. According to BRR, as of early November 2005, US$7.1 billion had been pledged by international donors of which US$3.6 billion worth of projects for rehabilitation and reconstruction were approved.

Agriculture Sector:

Many farmers in the affected areas harvested one crop in 2005 during the dry season and the majority have started the 2006 wet season production (starting from October/November 2005). So far there has been rehabilitation of estimated 29 108 hectares of farmland. Based on the Ministry of Agriculture data this report estimates for Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD - Province of Aceh) rice production for the 2005/06 marketing year at 933 000 tonnes or about 7 percent below the revised estimate of average production of the previous two years. This implies an anticipated surplus of about 200 000 tonnes for 2005/06 marketing year. In spite of the overall surplus of rice in Aceh, many farmers in heavily affected areas have lost two 2005 consecutive seasons (2004/05 main season and 2005 secondary season) of paddy production. Few of them are expected to recover one paddy production in 2006 while about half of the heavily affected areas are lost for good.

Fisheries Sector:

In the fisheries sector, 2005 fish output is estimated to decline by 41 percent for marine fishing and 26 percent for brackish water culture, better than the March forecast given the progress made in fishing assets restoration. Based on the calculation that 15 percent of the fishermen were lost, the sustainable fisheries plan worked out by BRR with technical advice from FAO calls for rebuilding of only 6 000 new boats to replace some 10 800 damaged/lost boats. So far 4 073 boats have been distributed. Reportedly boat building programme faced a setback initially due to the poor quality of boats built by untrained local carpenters. It is anticipated that most of the damaged and lost boats will be replaced by early 2006 and much of the fishing industry can return to almost normal as per the sustainable fisheries plan. Reconstruction of tambaks for shrimp and fish, however, is likely to take much longer to re-establish itself due to large capital requirements, ownership complications, issues of labour/mechanization and other complex issues.

Markets:

Food markets, disrupted with loss of physical infrastructure and most commodity stocks in most costal areas during the tsunami disaster, have resumed their activities. Rice and most other food items are readily available in most markets at fairly competitive prices. The average 2005 (Jan-Sep) rice price was lower by 12 percent than the corresponding price in 2004. This is mainly due to the reduced purchasing power, reduced effective demand this year following the tsunami disaster and the decline of the rice quality. However, based on the official data, the farm gate prices of rice have remained higher in 2005 compared with prices in 2004 mainly due to the higher support price by Bulog (the Government procurement agency). The mission also found that the average price of rice on the east coast in 2005 was slightly higher, by about Rp. 200/kg (about US 2 cents), than the corresponding price on the west coast, primarily due to an easier access by road and higher demand on the east coast from the main trading centre of Medan.

Although the impact of food aid on the rice price is ambiguous because of the government intervention, it may have resulted in the decline of the market share of traders, among other factors such as the decrease in population due to the high death toll, loss of infrastructure that has caused traders to abandon their former activities, and lack of any assistance programmes for traders.

According to BRR by November 2005, some 121 fish markets were built. There has been a decline in supply which was accompanied by a decline in demand due to the loss of purchasing power. Consequently prices of fresh fish have remained stable with a small positive trend in line with the general price inflation. Shrimp prices on the other hand have risen significantly this year (currently almost double the pre-tsunami level) on account of reduced supplies and increased demand particularly by relief workers.

With respect to the labour market, wage rates on the west coast under most cash-for-work programmes are about Rp. 35 000/day or almost double the pre-tsunami rates. Wages are slightly lower on the east coast owing to less construction activity and slower progress on re-construction of fish and shrimp farming (tambaks). Major reconstruction and other investment projects by various donors, ADB, the World Bank, and the Government are expected to provide employment opportunities over next five years. Impact of this on farming and fisheries, however, is rather uncertain and would depend on the relative profitability of these traditional sectors vis-à-vis the new employment opportunities.

Recovery in other sectors (as reported by BRR):

• The current number of IDPs according to the official list published on 12 October 2005 shows 371 691 persons as IDPs, down from about 700 000 at the peak of the crisis in January 2005.

• A total of 10 119 housing units have been built (including temporary shelters) and 3 804 are under construction.

• In all 119 schools have been built and 132 health facilities completed. School enrolment and attendance have recovered, and

• Some 3 640 micro-finance loans have been made.

Nias Island:

The islands of the northwest coast of Sumatra, such as Nias and Simeulue, suffered relatively fewer casualties but actually bore the greatest economic brunt of the disaster. The destruction of housing, fishing boats and gear, cropland and plantations, and even fresh water supply, was most widespread; it also affected particularly impoverished populations, with little support from outside relief and reconstruction supplies. Consequently, the overall recovery process is slower than in NAD. The functioning of rural markets is more constrained by poor infrastructure (roads) conditions on the island.

Nutrition:

The nutrition status of the affected areas (Aceh Province and Nias), continues to lag far behind the national average. Before the tsunami, almost 30 percent of the population in Aceh Province (NAD) lived below the poverty line, compared with a national average of some 18 percent. Among tsunami and earthquake affected districts, the highest numbers of poor (poverty rates) are located in Pidie (44 percent), West Aceh (38.1 percent), Sabang (36.7 percent) Aceh Besar (33.2 percent) and the islands of Simeulue (38.1 percent) and Nias (31.4 percent). Over 35 percent and 58 percent of children under 5 were underweight, in NAD and Nias, respectively, compared to 25 percent for Indonesia.

Recommendations:

The findings of this assessment have to be interpreted with care as they are not based on a representative statistical sample survey. The results are based on secondary data/information and earlier studies/surveys such as the Food and Labour Market Analysis by ICASERD¹/WFP, the Follow-up Emergency Food Security Assessments undertaken by WFP and the discussions and interviews with numerous key informants and the conclusions may not be easily generalized. Nevertheless some recommendations for future food aid and agricultural sector support programmes are made and may be considered for implementation.

In spite of the progress made especially in the recovery of agriculture and fisheries, the recovery of livelihoods of the most affected people residing in TLCs still depends on the progress made in the reconstruction (particularly housing and assets) sector. People still depend on food aid, as their livelihoods are not sustainable yet and will need assistance in 2006. In view of this, the following recommendations are made:

1. Given that the food is readily available in most markets, and markets function relatively well in the province of Aceh, and the beneficiaries of the current food aid programme rely on markets for selling and buying food, it is recommended that market based options (cash/voucher) in combination with cash-for-work programmes be examined for implementation during 2006 whenever resources are available.

2. Targeting of the food distribution is a major challenge but a thorough scrutiny of beneficiary lists is recommended to minimize the large inclusion error pointed out by some NGOs in the field, to ensure that the aid goes to those who need it the most.

3. Given the chronic malnutrition status of children in the tsunami and earthquake affected areas and the need to revitalize the village level integrated health posts (Posyandu), the expansion of Mother and Child Nutrition (MCN) projects to areas with high level of child malnutrition be considered.

4. Given the rice surplus situation in the region, it is recommended that local purchases be pursued whenever possible in order to meet food aid requirement in the province so as to prevent domestic food market distortions.

5. Farmers typically incur heavy losses at drying and milling stage of paddy due to lack of good facilities. In addition, if the paddy is not dried up to the standards required by Bulog, the state procurement agency, farmers do not benefit from the Government’s support price. Hence, feasibility, modality and effectiveness of assistance/financial facility be examined.

6. Small traders seem to be the only group adversely affected by the tsunami that fell through the cracks of various assistance programmes. Assistance to small and petty traders whose livelihoods were destroyed by the disaster should be considered. This would also help strengthen marketing/economic activity and improve general marketing efficiency.

2. SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONTEXT

2.1 Indonesia

The Indonesian economy remained sound over the last five years due to restored macroeconomic stability, restrained budget stance and improved management of state banks. As a result, the economic growth has gained momentum year by year, increasing from 3.8 percent in 2001 to 5.1 percent in 2004. After several sluggish years, investment grew by about 15.8 percent in 2004, up sharply from previous years. In the meantime, private consumption has been buoyant. Growth strengthened further in the first quarter of 2005, when real GDP increased by almost 6.5 percent (year on year basis). Inflation declined from 12.5 percent at end-2001 to 6.4 percent at end-2004 but has since climbed to 9 percent in September and 18 percent in October 2005. This sharp rise was caused by the 126 percent increase in the regulated fuel prices on 1 October 2005.

Despite progress made in poverty reduction compared to the pre-financial crisis levels of 1996, Indonesia’s widespread poverty and unemployment remains a key policy challenge in order to place the economy on a sustained high growth path. While 6.7 percent of the population lives below US$1 per day, over 53 percent of the population lives on less than US$2 per day, and about that many remain highly vulnerable to falling under Indonesia’s poverty line². Indonesia’s steady pickup in growth in the last few years, averaging some 4.5 percent since 2000, has not been accompanied by increases in employment levels. While the government focused on improving working conditions, the labour force has expanded in line with population growth, with the participation rate around 67-68 percent. Registered unemployment has edged up every year since the 1997 crisis, increasing from 4.8 percent in 1997 to almost 10 percent in 2005.

The value of total damage and losses from the disaster adding up to 2.2 percent of national GDP, it is unlikely to pose a serious threat to the national economy, as opposed to affected areas. Macroeconomic projections imply a possible reduction of 0.1 to 0.4 percentage points in GDP growth rates for 2005, relative to baseline forecasts before the disaster. Some of this, however, should be compensated by positive stimulus to the economy from rehabilitation and reconstruction activities. In the end, the overall impact on the national economy is expected to be very small.

2.2 The Aceh Province and Nias Island in North Sumatra

In the northernmost province on the island of Sumatra, Aceh has a population of about 4.2 million, divided into 21 districts. Oil and gas together is the single most dominant sector in NAD, accounting for about 43 percent of Regional Gross Domestic Product (RGDP). Aceh’s RGDP growth rate in 2003 was 3.4 percent, about 1 percentage point below the national growth rate. The manufacturing sector relies on a relatively small number of capital intensive industries with high output per labour ratio.

Aside from oil and gas, agriculture (including fisheries, livestock, etc) accounts for about one-third of RGDP. Oil, gas production and manufacturing being quite capital-intensive, at least half of the active population is employed in the agricultural sector. Compared to the rest of Indonesia, the manufacturing, finance and services sectors are much less developed in NAD.

The province of Aceh has long had a net trade surplus with the outside. In 1992, the ratio of exports to imports, in value, was about 25/1. However, between 1992 and 2003, the current value of exports fell to one-half of its original amount, from US$3 billion to US$1.4 billion. By then, the ratio of exports to imports was slightly higher 28/1. The composition of trade, however, is highly skewed; exports of mineral fuels and mineral oil products amounted to US$1.378 billion in 2003, out of a total US$1.44 billion of exports (nearly 96 percent). Other main export categories include fertilizer (3.6 percent), articles of apparel (0.2 percent)³. These numbers are somewhat misleading because they under-represent primary sector exports, most of which flow unrecorded into the Province of Sumatra Utara, for local consumption or export via Medan.

Remittances to and from the Province also give a sense of Aceh’s relative wealth compared to other regions of Indonesia. In 2003, US$3.8 million were sent out through the post office, compared to US$3.15 million received. The largest difference between money sent and received was in Meulaboh, where outgoing remittances added up to US$213 000 compared to inflows of US$39 000.

Together with the eastern-most province of Papua, Aceh has special autonomy status. Because of this, NAD has been granted a greater share of government revenue from its natural resources, including oil and gas, than have other provinces. Because regional and local governments have been receiving revenue sharing from Aceh’s gas wealth, in addition to block grant transfers from the central government, the combined budget of Aceh’s provincial and district governments grew six times between 2000 and 2002.

In spite of this, the relatively poor state of Aceh’s power, transportation and irrigation networks is a reminder of the lack of economic development in a province otherwise endowed with an abundance of natural resources. Due to concerns over conflict and security in the Province, domestic and foreign investment –especially in the primary sector—has dried up. Economic activity declined by 20 percent between 1997 and 2001. According to 2003 Bureau of Planning estimates, almost 30 percent of the population in Aceh Province were living below the poverty line, compared to the national average of 17.4 percent. The share of food in total private consumption is estimated at 64 percent. Among tsunami affected districts, Aceh Utara, Bireuen and Pidie had the highest numbers of poor people, closely followed by Aceh Besar and Aceh Barat.

The peace deal signed on 15 August 2005 between the Indonesian Government and the GAM rebels is holding and the security situation and the climate for economic development in the province have improved significantly. However, the 28-year conflict has taken the lives of some 10 000 people and led to the destruction or serious damage of infrastructure, including 900 schools, some dispensaries, etc. Aceh has no lack of education or health personnel, but people often refuse to work in rural areas for security reasons. In past years, bus burning and widespread extortion on Aceh’s roads seriously impeded transport and transactions. It is estimated that 35 000 people were displaced by the conflict. Some of them have migrated to post-tsunami refugee camps or TLCs, but the extent to which they will benefit from rehabilitation and reconstruction activities is unclear.

Nias Island is a chronic poverty zone as compared to the other affected areas in Aceh Province. About 32 percent of its population lives below the poverty line (against 16 percent in North Sumatra and 18 percent at national level), with 77 percent of per capita expenditure allocated to food expenditure (Table 1). Some 87 percent of Nias population is engaged in smallholder agriculture including farming, fishing and work on plantations.

Table 1: Key Livelihood Indicators in Nias, before the Tsunami and Earthquake

Source: Indonesia/BPS Special Compilation of 2002 Poverty Survey and WFP, Food Insecurity Atlas (2005).

2.3 Overall Economic Impact of the Tsunami and the Earthquake

Paradoxically, islands and archipelagos off the northwest coast of Sumatra (Nias, Simeulue, Nyak, Singkil) suffered relatively fewer casualties but bore the economic brunt of the disaster. Due to proximity to the epicentre of the earthquake, the destruction of housing, fishing boats and gear, cropland and plantations, and even fresh water supply, was most extensive; it also hit severely impoverished populations⁴, with little access to outside relief and reconstruction resources.

Waterfront urban areas and coastal settlements in or near Banda Aceh and along the West coast were also devastated. On the Northeast coast, damage was significant, but more limited to the estuarine areas of Pidie, Bireuen and Aceh Utara Districts. Further details of damages due to tsunami are provided by Special Report of the Joint FAO/WFP published in May 2005.

The impact on the local economy of NAD was very large. Total damage and losses are reckoned to be equivalent to about 100 percent of the Province’s RGDP. The disaster impacted primarily the private assets and revenues of a mostly low income population, with a few exceptions such as urban businesses located at or near waterfront markets in Banda Aceh, or Meulaboh, for instance.

In NAD the transportation sector was affected both in public and private asset terms: 316 km (10 percent of total) of provincial roads, 1 900 km of local roads and 400 bridges were destroyed or heavily damaged. There was also significant loss of and damage to vehicles⁵. Much of the primary transportation infrastructure in the province is located in coastal areas, since inland areas tend to be steep and high mountains, with a concentration of population and economic activity along the coast. Destroyed road networks resulted in a surge of transport costs by 24 percent during the first 8 months of 2005. The combining impact of this transport price increase and the fuel price increases of March and October, 2005 are reported to have increased the price of basic goods by 40 percent in Aceh Province. The year on year inflation rate accelerated to about 23 percent in Aceh Province (up to 20 percent in Nias) in November, 2005, compared with 17.9 percent national average.

It is estimated that over 600 000 people in Aceh and Nias, about one-fourth of the total working population, have lost their jobs as a result of the disaster. The single most affected sector is that of fisheries and aquaculture (130 000 jobs before the disaster), which accounted for almost 70 percent of coastal employment⁶. For the agricultural sector as a whole, about 300 000 people are likely to be unemployed or underemployed. Labour demand for rehabilitation activities at relatively high daily wages (Rp. 35 000/day as opposed to the minimum daily wage of Rp.20 000) is strong, but there is often a gap between the skills required for rehabilitation work and those available locally, which means that the most unskilled and poorest members of the labour force may have little or no access to the rehabilitation-related jobs. However, as the housing construction and other work projects get underway the employment situation is improving rapidly. For example, on any given day a visit to an IDP camp reveals that over 75 percent of the IDPs are gone for casual labour activities.

2.4 Overall Rehabilitation/Reconstruction Status Nearly One Year Later

As shown in Table 2, progress has been made in the reconstruction/rehabilitation process but needs to be speeded up. However, very little progress has been made in Nias since the earthquake in March 2005.

Table 2: Rehabilitation/Reconstruction Progress Status in NAD and Nias

Source: BRR.

3. RECOVERY PROGRESS IN AGRICULTURAL AND FISHERY SECTORS

Agriculture represents a major share of the local economy in Ache Province and Nias both affected by the tsunami and the earthquake. It is estimated that 465 coastal villages in Aceh province and as many as 92 000 farms and small agricultural enterprises have been partially or wholly destroyed. Prior to the disaster, these enterprises provided employment for approximately 160 000 people. Unlike Aceh Province, Nias Island suffered more from the earthquake than the tsunami. The tsunami hit 20 percent of the western coast line, resulting in the destruction of many fishing villages and livelihoods, while the earthquake struck the entire Island.

The estimates of damage and longer-term losses to agriculture and irrigation⁷ were approximated at some US$285 million, almost 80 percent of which in estimated losses to future crops⁸ (43 percent), damage to irrigation infrastructure (22 percent), and permanent land losses (13 percent). In the fisheries sector, direct damage was estimated at about US$94 million, almost half of which is in the brackish water pond sub-sector. The value of losses in future fish production was assessed at some US$381 million.

Overall, the recovery of productive assets is much slower in Nias compared to Aceh Province, due to poor road conditions, lack of construction materials and lack of assistance for livelihood activities.

3.1 Agricultural Sector

Rice is the major food crop for farming and staple food for the people of NAD. Paddy cropping pattern and seasonal production are mainly determined by irrigation system and rainfall. Rainfall varies considerably, with generally more rainfall on the west coast than the east coast. In drier areas, there is only one crop per year without irrigation, but 2-3 crops with irrigation. Overall, the east coast has better irrigation facilities than those on the west coast.

Based on the pattern of the monsoon winds, there are two main seasons in a year, referred to as “wet” and “dry” seasons. The wet season normally runs from October to March and produces some 60 percent of the annual rice crop and half of the annual maize, soybean and groundnut crops. The dry season covers the period of April to September when the remainder of the annual crop is produced.

Total wetland area in NAD before the tsunami was around 391 000 hectares, with paddy harvested area increasing in the last decade from 300 000 hectares in 1990 to 370 000 hectares in 2004. Many coastal rice growing areas were devastated by seawater inundation and marine deposits. The total damaged/lost paddy land was estimated at 37 500 hectares (equivalent to some 60 000 ha of harvested area), accounting for some 16 percent of paddy land. Among the total damaged/lost land, 18.9 percent was lightly damaged, 26.7 percent moderately damaged, and 46.7 percent highly damaged. Some 2 900 or 7.7 percent was totally lost to the seas or have become completely unsuitable for farming (see Table A.1). Based on FAO, normal agricultural production can start immediately in lightly damaged field, but it requires simple interventions in moderately damaged area and more complex interventions in heavily damaged area.

Almost everywhere along the west coast and Simeulue, the direct effects of the earthquake and the tsunami on agricultural land were both more extensive and more severe, with most damaged paddy-fields categorized as being severely damaged; while on the east coast, damage is more limited to the estuarine areas of Pidie, Bireuen, Aceh Utara, and Aceh Timur, with most paddy-field damage categorized as light or moderate.

On the west coast, the February/March harvest - lost to the tsunami in affected areas - represents a greater share of annual paddy production. Many rural communities in the affected areas lost not only most of their farm assets, but also important agricultural infrastructure such as drainage and irrigation systems, rice mills, processing plants, agricultural markets, trader shops, research and training institutions, and government extension services.

As for Nias, the impact of the tsunami on rice farming is small. Only 1.3 percent (200-300 ha) of the total rice land area (15 800 ha in 2003), is reported to be affected (both districts). Paddy production suffered more from the damage caused by the earthquake on the irrigation system than the tsunami but the overall impact on rice production is limited, given that only 12 percent of fields are irrigated.

Recovery status in NAD:

Table 3 provides a summary of the rehabilitation progress so far as well as the prospects for 2006 for the rice fields in NAD. Almost one year after the tsunami, more than 90 percent of lightly damaged and more than 80 percent of the moderately damaged paddy fields have been cleaned and restored for 2005/06 main wet season starting from October/November, primarily through cash for work programmes. Most of both categories of affected paddy fields had one harvest since the tsunami, with unexpectedly good yield on the east coast. However, some of the severely damaged paddy fields need major rehabilitation including recovery of irrigation infrastructures and removal of sediments from drainage systems or creeks mouths which is expected to up to 5 years; some 3 000 ha is lost permanently. Some areas may be planted with rice, but other areas may be more suitable for aquaculture or planting of salt-tolerant tree crops, particularly in the low areas near the sea.

The deterioration of soil fertility due to the salt pollution of agricultural fields was a major concern during our March Mission. However, surveys and research by FAO and Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) in collaboration with the Indonesian Soil Research Institute in Bogor and Balai Pengkajian Teknologi Pertanian (BPTD: Assessment Institute for Agriculture Technology) in Banda Aceh suggest that soil salinity is no longer a major threat to crop production in areas that have good irrigation facilities or those that receive good annual rainfall in the west. Based on a FAO survey, heavy precipitation along the severely damaged west coast in the spring had already leached out most of the contaminated lands. Along the drier east coast, farmers and local government officials interviewed also confirmed that the fields with salt contamination were well-watered by rain and the situation has returned to normal. However, crop failures had been reported in low-lying areas near tidal creeks due to much more extensive inundation with seawater.

Farmers on the east coast reported that they have unexpectedly good yield (5.5 tonnes/ha) from the lightly damaged fields. The farmers also attribute the good harvest to the seeds, fertilizer, tools, and hand-tractors provided by FAO, government, and other organizations.

Table 3: Rehabilitation Progress in 2005 and Prospect for 2006: Paddy Fields in NAD

Source: BRR and Mission’s assessment.

Recovery status in Nias. The recovery pattern of agriculture in Nias is less encouraging. Agriculture was and still is the most important means of livelihood in Nias. The paddy production in 2005 on affected areas is 40 percent below a normal two-season cropping year. It is expected that, the paddy cropping and production will recover to a normal pattern in 2006. As the yield from rice production in Nias is low (3 tonnes/ha for irrigated paddy and about 2.5 tonnes/ha for rain-fed paddy) compared to the rest of Indonesia, the Island will remain rice deficit, with a year average of approximately 21 000 tonnes of rice imported from other areas such as Medan.

In general, rice farming and smallholder rubber gardening are the major sources of income in Nias. The rubber collectors reported a decrease in the amount of rubber that can be tapped per tree, though recovering slowly. On average, a tree will typically produce 5 kg of rubber per tree. It is believed that the root systems of the trees were affected by the earthquake and that they are in some type of shock. Right after the earthquake, findings indicate that this has reduced to 2 kg per tree. Although rubber trees are recovering slowly, the farmers’ income declined significantly as a result of the decrease of rubber production and the decline of the real farm gate prices. The nominal purchase price of rubber remained unchanged before and after the earthquake (Rp. 4 000-6 000/kg) while market access difficulties increased due to the earthquake as well as the increase in transport cost after the fuel price increase.

In order to help the affected farmers of Aceh and Nias, various donors/organizations including ADB, FAO, USAID, among others, are developing various projects. ADB is providing more than 30 million dollars in its Earthquake and Tsunami Emergency Support Project (ETESP) agriculture component alone. FAO has already distributed seeds (rice, maize, soybean and groundnut), seedlings, vegetable kits, fertilizer and hand tractors, rice threshers and other motorized cultivators.

Prospects for crop rehabilitation and production in 2006 are favourable both for Aceh Province and Nias Island. Paddy in lightly and moderately damaged fields has been transplanted in October/November. Discussions with the farmers indicated that most of them are optimistic, but express their continuing need for seeds of good quality, fertilizer, and fuel. The cash-for-work programme is still the key factor in restoring the damaged irrigation systems and village roads, especially in the severely damaged areas.

3.2 Fisheries Sector

The fisheries sector was a major economic activity in Aceh, contributing to 6.5 percent of RGDP and providing direct employment for over 80 000 people, or 16 percent of the total coastal population. Fish output was estimated at 158 578 tonnes in 2003, comprising 133 976 tonnes captured from marine fishery and 24 602 tonnes harvested from aquaculture. Due to the lack of canning facility, most of the fish were consumed locally or exported unprocessed overseas or to other parts of the country. The sector is relatively more important in terms of household income and food consumption in the following districts, where production per capital ranges from 98 to 62 kg/year: Sabang, Aceh Singkil, Simeulue, Aceh Timur, Aceh Selatan, Aceh Barat, and Bireuen.

Marine Fishery

Most of the fishing communities applied inshore waters with artisan craft and gear. A large number of canoes, small planked boats (almost 15 000), and inboard motor fishing boats are found along all coastal areas. Commercial fleets are located on the north and east coast in Aceh Utara (Lhokseumawe), Aceh Timur (Langsa) and Bireuen, and on the west coast in Aceh Barat (Meulaboh) and Aceh Selatan (TapakTuan).

In the fishery sector, 19 units (0.37 percent) of TPI (places of fish auction) were damaged⁹, and 32 out of 72 units of Fish Landing Base (PPI) scattered in 8 kabupaten experienced the impact of the tsunami¹⁰. A total of 10 961 out of 17 732 units of the fish-catching fleet in Aceh was reportedly damaged. Of the total population of 750 000 in Nias Island, some 4 000 to 5 000 persons are directly involved in fishing, including the fishers, wholesale fish sellers, small-scale fishmongers, processing specialist for salting/drying fish, and marketing of fish and other ancillary activities (FAO June Assessment). FAO estimates that 1 026 new boats would be required, with 917 in Nias district and 145 in South Nias district.

Recovery status. FAO estimated that some 10 800 boats were damaged or lost (Figure 1). Based on the calculation of that 15 percent of the fishermen died, the sustainable fisheries plan worked out by BRR with a technical advice from FAO calls for rebuilding of only 6 000 new boats. So far 4 073 boats have been distributed. Reportedly boat building programme faced a setback initially owing to the poor quality of boats built by untrained local carpenters. It is anticipated that most of the damaged and lost boats will be replaced by early 2006 and much of the fishing industry can return to almost normal as per the sustainable fisheries plan.

Figure 1: New Boats Building Programme: Needs, Planned, and Delivered in NAD

In Nias, fishing activities have not yet recovered significantly due to the heavy damage caused both by the December tsunami and the March earthquake to the fishing communities. Reports from the field indicate that the actual geology of the island has changed, and in some areas corral reefs have risen by up to 2 metres. In some areas, the fishermen can no longer take their fishing boats to sea due to the amount of coral they have to navigate before reaching the deeper waters. The harbours used previously for docking ships are no longer operational for larger boats as the water levels are much reduced. The reduction in fishing was reflected also in loss of productive assets (fishing boats, nets, etc). So far, the fishing community did not benefit from any significant assistance to recover the lost assets. As a result, most of the fishermen are unemployed in the absence of new job opportunities.

Aquaculture (Tambaks)

There were about 44 883 ha of brackish water shrimp/fish ponds (tambaks) in 2003, with a greater concentration in the eastern coast districts (Aceh Utara, Bireuen, Pidie) as indicated in Table 4. Some 15 531 hectares of these are estimated to have been damaged. Nearly 50 000 households and over 200 000 family members used to depend on these tambaks for their livelihood. The damage to the brackish water culture ponds is relatively dispersed, the worst affected districts being along the Northeastern coast: Aceh Utara, Bireuen, and Pidie.

Table 4: Area (ha) of Brackish Water Ponds Pre-Tsunami and Damaged in NAD

1/ BPS NAD 2003.
2/ Based on the estimation done by Dinas Perikanan Prov, NAD, 28 January 2005.
3/ As of November 2005, Mission estimates.

Recovery Status. Compared to the recovery/rehabilitation in paddy production and fishing sector, the recovery situation in Tambak sector has been much slower due to large capital requirements, ownership complications, use of labour/mechanization issues and other set of complex issues. Only some 20 percent of damaged areas in Aceh Utara, Bireuen and Pidle are estimated to have been rehabilitated. Although cleaning out the ponds and repairing embankments in minor damaged areas could be done by local labours under cash-for-work programmes, much of this repairing work could be done quickly and easily with more equipment which needs to be purchased.

For ponds that were not affected and for ponds that have been cleared and repaired, there is a lack of initial capital for feed and restocking material. Most of the hatcheries and feed making units damaged have not been repaired. The rehabilitation of the canals and irrigation system for aquaculture has been identified as another challenge.

With respect to the recovery salt ponds all of the salt pond owners in Pidie have reportedly restarted their business after UNDP Cash-for-Work projects cleared their salt fields.

4. OVERALL 2005/06 FOOD PRODUCTION AND SUPPLY SITUATION IN NAD

4.1 2005/06 Paddy Production and Supply Situation in NAD

Forecast of Paddy Production in 2005

Most affected areas lost the 2004/05 main season paddy crops (planted in October 2004 and harvested mostly from February to April 2005). The secondary crop is relatively small in affected areas, and paddy was planted in the area with irrigation schemes. During the mission’s field visits in the province, team members observed the standing crop in the coastal areas and discussed with local government officials and farmers who were working in the field for paddy harvesting. The yield is estimated to be close to normal.

In non-affected areas, few changes are expected for dry season paddy production. The profitability of paddy production in Aceh has been reported as very good. A ban on imports of rice, which was imposed by the central government in order to protect farmers’ prices and income for paddy production in early 2004 (except for a brief period immediately following the tsunami disaster), was extended to the end of 2005. However, the Ministry of Trade recently lifted the rice import ban by issuing an official license for Bulog to import 70 050 tonnes of rice from Vietnam due to low stock and high price in the country. The paddy and rice prices at the farm gate have been good (wet paddy at Rp.1 330/kg and dry paddy at Rp.1740/kg). Rice prices have largely been determined by private traders and rice millers operating in an open local market situation.

Rainfall/irrigation conditions and input supply are normal in non-affected areas.

As shown in Table 5, the Mission estimates 2005 aggregate paddy production in NAD at 1.43 million tonnes, some 7.5 percent below that in the previous year (1.552 million tonnes). This would result in reduction in rice production of about 75 000 tonnes. The new estimated paddy output is lower than that forecast in March Mission (1.47 million tonnes), reflecting the lowered harvested area estimated by government. The major reduction, compared to the previous year, takes place in the western costal districts, including Aceh Jaya, Nagan Raya, and Aceh Barat Data.

Table 5: Forecast of 2005 Paddy Production in NAD

Source: 2003 and 2004 data are from BPS; 2005 area and production are estimated by this mission based on the information provided by MOA of Aceh Province.

Rice Supply/Demand Balance in 2005/06 (April/March)

The Mission’s forecast of the rice supply/demand balance for 2005/06 by district is summarized in Table 6. The rice surplus in 2005/06 is estimated at some 200 000 tonnes, slightly lower from a normal year¹¹. Therefore, in spite of local crop losses, overall food availability even in the affected areas is more than adequate to cover food needs. Given the relatively large rice supply available in the region, it is recommended to pursue local purchases whenever possible in order to meet food aid requirements in the province to prevent domestic food market distortions and protect paddy farmers’ interest. The estimated balance is based on the following assumptions: population to grow at annual rate of 1.26 percent; half of missing persons due to earthquake and tsunami actually died in the disaster; and a milling rate of 65 percent from paddy to rice. Requirement levels from past years are assumed as: for food consumption 150 kg/caput of rice, feed and seed use 40 kg/ha, post-harvest losses 7 percent, and buffer stock 5 percent of consumption.

Table 6: Rice supply and demand balance (‘000 tonnes) in marketing year 2005/06 (April/March),
by district

Source: Estimated by this Mission.

4.2 Prospect for Fisheries Production and Consumption in 2005/06

Fish output in 2005 is estimated at 73 687 tonnes from marine fishing and 18 205 tonnes from brackish water culture, 45 percent and 26 percent below normal, respectively from the year before. Based on this output and the projected population, per capita fish output will be reduced from some 38 kg in a normal year to some 22.6 kg in 2005. The worst-affected districts in fisheries sector include Sabang, Aceh Barat, Aceh Besar, and Banda Aceh.

In a normal year, per capita fish consumption is estimated at some 27 kg and total consumption at some 114 000 tonnes, with the surplus of some 45 000 tonnes for selling in Medan or international export (Table 7). In 2005, per capita consumption is estimated to have been reduced to some 24.8 kg including WFP food aid, as a result of both reduced production and reduced purchasing power. The net fish import, mainly through WFP food aid, is estimated at 9 021 tonnes.

Table 7: Forecast of Fish Production, Consumption, and Balance in NAD, 2005