Panca Nugraha

THE JAKARTA POST/MATARAM

Thirty-five of 889 villages in West Nusa Tenggara remain at risk of a food shortage this year, officials say, attributing the threat to deforestation and the overreliance on rice.

Most of the communities at risk live in mountainous and coastal areas, and for the most part are comprise mostly migrant residents from elsewhere in the archipelago, particularly on Lombok and Sumbawa islands.

M. Ridha Hakim, project leader for the provincial WWF branch, said recently the government should pay serious attention to the issue because it could remain a serious threat, given the extent of deforestation, which in turn leads to depletedwater resources.

The flow rate in the Sesaot River in West Lombok dropped to 9 cubic meters a second this year, down from 27 cubic meters a second five years ago, a WWF field study shows.

""Our survey showed that the conditions of five river basin areas in the province are very critical due to deforestation in upstream areas, distribution policies and impacts from climate change,"" Ridha said.

""This would obviously have an impact on the agricultural sector and food reliance.""He also claimed global climate change had impacted the agricultural and fisher sectors in the province.However, West Nusa Tenggara Food Reliance Agency head Husna-niaty Nurdin said the number of vil-lages threatened with a food shortage had actually decreased.

""In 2007, we recorded 55 villages at risk of a food shortage, but that figure has dropped to 35 villages this year,"" she said.Speaking Tuesday in Mataram, in conjunction with World Food Day, Husnaniaty said people in those villages still relied on rice as their staple food, and it was difficult for them to change their dietary patterns, despite the available alternatives such as corn and tubers.

""So dont for a second think that residents of these villages face difficulties getting food,"" Husnaniaty said.
""Basically, their food needs are adequate, but not for rice. They could do with a change in their mindset.""

She pointed out residents of Sire village. Tanjung district in North Lombok regency, 60 kilometers north of Mataram, still relied on corn as their staple food, as had previous past generations in the area.

She added that based on a national survey on the average per capita rice consumption in 2008, West Nusa Tenggara had the second-highest rice consumption in the country after Bali.

The study showed each West Nusa Tenggara resident ate 127 kilograms of rice a year, compared to 130 kilograms a year in Bali.

Husnaniaty said the provincial administration was currently monitoring and advising the 35 villages by working together with the relevant agencies and the regency- and district-level Family Welfare Movement team.