Indonesia's Agriculture Ministry inspects palm oil plantations for El Niño fire risk

The Ministry of Agriculture carried out an inspection of a large integrated palm‑oil plantation in Musi Banyuasin, South Sumatra, to verify its preparedness for forest‑ and land‑fire (karhutla) threats linked to the predicted El Niño‑induced drought in 2026. The visit, led by Acting Director‑General of Plantations Ali Jamil, followed a directive from Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman, who said, “Jangan setelah terjadi kebakaran baru melakukan pemadaman. Pencegahan menjadi langkah utama yang harus dilakukan.”

Inspectors reviewed fire‑control teams, personnel training, early‑detection systems, reporting procedures and equipment such as water pumps, protective gear, rubber boats, hoses, embankments and fire‑watch towers, in line with Ministerial Regulation No. 6/2025, Law No. 39/2014 on plantations and Presidential Instruction No. 3/2020 on fire mitigation. The ministry flagged gaps in real‑time fire monitoring, tower coverage, water‑storage maintenance and pump capacity, urging the company to address these shortcomings. Management pledged to implement the improvements, while the ministry confirmed ongoing oversight and enforcement of non‑burning land‑clearing rules.