Flooding damaged agricultural areas in Cambodia. As of 15 October 2026, floodwaters affected five districts in Oddar Mean Chey Province, Cambodia, damaging 3,804 hectares of rice crops belonging to 2,913 families. The flooding also damaged infrastructure such as bridges, roads, schools, hospitals, and pagodas. Local officials cooperated with relevant departments to promptly assess damage to rice crops and provide seed recovery support to address the needs of affected citizens.

Source: ADINet. (2026, October 15). CAMBODIA, FLOODING IN ODDAR MEAN CHEY.

Super El Niño caused severe drought in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. A Super El Niño triggered severe drought across Indonesia, particularly in West Kalimantan Province. The conditions dried out the Kapuas River, the major transportation artery. As a result, shipping disruptions left local mills unable to transport oil, preventing palm fruit farmers from selling their harvest. Consequently, the Indonesian Palm Oil Association revised down its national production forecast by 2.9 percent, as the prolonged dry weather delays fruit maturity.

Source: Reuters. (2026, October 19). El Niño-powered drought leaves Indonesian palm farmers high and dry as river recedes.

Floods forced people to flee their homes and disrupted traffic in Malaysia. Severe thunderstorms caused flooding across several parts of Malaysia, including Perak, Penang, Kedah, Pahang, and Klang Valley on 17 October 2026. The rising floodwaters displaced over 100 residents and damaged dozens of homes in Perak, Penang, Kedah, and Pahang, prompting authorities to evacuate affected families to temporary relief shelters. Meanwhile, flash floods inundated major roads from USJ to Shah Alam in Klang Valley, disrupting traffic and stalling vehicles. Local officials urged motorists to remain alert, avoid driving through floodwaters, and check road conditions before travelling.

Source: Free Malaysia Today. (2026, October 17). 80 affected as flash floods hit parts of Perak and Penang. Malay Mail. (2026, October 17). From USJ to Shah Alam, flash floods disrupt Klang Valley roads after afternoon downpour. The Vibes. (2026, October 18). Floods displace residents in Perak and Kedah, while 19 homes are hit in Pahang.

Thailand’s persistent flooding affected nearly 1.37 million residents. Prolonged heavy to very heavy rainfall, combined with runoff from the north, caused rivers to overflow and led to widespread flooding across Thailand. As of 20 October 2026, flooding continued in parts of Bangkok and 22 provinces, with the death toll rising to 80. Although water levels were receding in every affected area, 450,944 households comprising 1,367,191 people remained affected. Authorities operated specialised vehicles and deployed disaster-response machinery with partner agencies to drain inundated communities and assist residents in resuming their normal lives.

Source: Bangkok Post. (2026, October 19). Flooding remains in Bangkok and 22 provinces. The Nation. (2026, October 20). DDPM reports 1.37m people still affected by floods on October 20.

Indonesia’s Rice Reserves Reach 4.5 Million MT For El Niño. Indonesia’s government rice reserves have reached 4.5 million MT, nearly 200 percent higher than the 1.51 million MT recorded in October 2023, as the country prepares for potential extreme El Niño conditions and drought. According to the National Food Agency (Bapanas), the government secured these reserves after two years of proactive preparation to mitigate these climate threats. Head Andi Amran Sulaiman noted that the reserves came entirely from domestic production, with government rice procurement accounting for 14.4 percent of projected national rice production of 28.39 million MT from January to September 2026. Moreover, the government aims to achieve sustainable food self-sufficiency in 2026 while maintaining adequate supplies of other essential food commodities.

Source: ANTARA News. (2026, October 19). Indonesia holds 4.5 mln tons of rice reserves for El Nio: Official

Malaysia Loses 8,486 hectares of Rice Fields, Raising Concerns Over Rice Self-Sufficiency. Malaysia lost 8,486 hectares of rice fields between 2020 and 2025, raising concerns over domestic rice production and food security. According to the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, 5,676 hectares were lost in designated rice granary areas and 2,810 hectares outside these zones. The decline comes as Malaysia’s rice self-sufficiency rate stood at 54.3 percent in 2025, highlighting challenges in reducing dependence on imports.

Source: nippon.com. (2026, October 20). Decline in padi land raises food security concerns.

Philippines’ Rice Tariff Revenue Rises 21 percent in January-September. The Philippines collected 15.95 billion PHP (250 million USD) in rice import tariffs from January to September 2026, up 21 percent from 13.2 billion PHP (210 million USD) a year earlier, driven by higher import volumes and a weaker PHP Currency. Rice imports reached nearly 4.2 million MT, about 25 percent higher than the 3.36 million MT recorded in the same period last year. Nine-month revenue already exceeded nearly 14 billion PHP (220 million USD) collected for 2025. The Department of Agriculture expects rice imports to surpass 5 million MT this year to ensure sufficient supplies amid anticipated El Niño-related production losses of 700,000 MT. The government projects a 75-day rice supply by year-end. However, the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department warned that tariff collections remain below the 30 billion PHP (470 million USD) target needed to fund the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) sustainably, which is potentially putting additional pressure on government finances.

*1 USD = 63.21 PHP

Source: Philstar.com. (2026, October 20). Rice tariff collection hits P16 billion in 9 months.