inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. The Minister of Agriculture, Andi Amran Sulaiman, is encouraging changes in planting patterns in mountainous areas with steep slopes as a mitigation measure for landslides and flooding, following the disaster in West Bandung Regency and its surroundings.

He stated that his office had recently visited the disaster site in West Bandung Regency. The Minister of Agriculture assessed that many horticultural crops are still planted on slopes with extreme inclines, even reaching 30-45 degrees.

"There are many horticultural crops in mountainous areas with steep slopes. We must evaluate this seriously, change the commodities," he said, as reported by Antaranews, Wednesday (1/28/2026).

According to him, land with steep slopes should be planted with plantation crops with strong roots, such as coffee, avocado, coconut, and cocoa. These crops are considered better able to withstand soil erosion and anticipate potential landslides and flooding in the future.

"Because the roots of perennials, trees, and plantations are strong, they can anticipate future landslides and flooding," he explained.

He further emphasized that this change in cropping patterns is a permanent solution for agriculture-based disaster mitigation.

The Ministry of Agriculture has also deployed a team to the field to conduct a land inventory and immediately implement the commodity transition. A budget for annual crop procurement has also been allocated.

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