“It first happened in 2015, then it reemerged in a row in 2019, 2020, 2021, and again in 2022,” Maikel told BBC Indonesia.
According to Maikel, the crop failure was triggered by a frost in the highlands of Lanny Jaya due to weather factors. It has a fatal impact because the community is highly dependent on the produce.
“That’s their only source of food. Changing weather pattern has affected the yield,” he explained.
Read: THREAT OF A GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS Refocusing our Food Policy
The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Region V in Jayapura has been warning citizens there of the potential extreme weather events, such as frost, hail and strong winds.
Hendro Nugroho, the agency chief, advised the community to build a barn to store their crops so they can avert a food crisis during the dry season. (rr)