The Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Sumatera Utara (FP USU), Dr. Rulianda Purnomo Wibowo, S.P., M.Ec., served as a speaker at a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) themed “Strengthening the Role of Cik Laila Early Warning System (EWS) Innovation in Supporting Regional Inflation Control in Pematangsiantar City” on Monday (October 12, 2026). The activity, organized by the Pematangsiantar City Government, took place in the Mini Meeting Room of the Pematangsiantar City Regional Development Planning Agency (Bappeda).
The forum discussed the development and direction of efforts to strengthen EWS Cik Laila as an early warning system supporting regional inflation control. The discussion involved academics, the Pematangsiantar City Government, Statistics Indonesia (BPS), Bank Indonesia, and relevant regional agencies and stakeholders, including market managers, Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG), and the Department of Communication and Informatics.
In his presentation, Dr. Rulianda explained that inflation dynamics are interconnected across regions, particularly through the relationship between production areas and consumption areas. Therefore, the discussion positioned EWS Cik Laila as an important instrument for helping local governments prepare for changes in food prices.
Attention was also given to the importance of accounting for weather factors in price projections. In this regard, data support from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) was considered important for strengthening the analytical capabilities of EWS. Weather information is needed to ensure that projections account for conditions that may affect food production and supply availability.
FP USU's participation in this activity represents an academic contribution to supporting data-driven regional policymaking. Knowledge exchange among higher education institutions, local governments, and relevant agencies creates opportunities for collaboration to connect analytical findings with practical regional inflation control needs.
This activity aligns with SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) through its focus on food availability and affordability, as well as SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) through strengthening cross-institutional partnerships. With a well-directed roadmap and increasingly integrated data support, EWS Cik Laila is expected to provide more useful early warning information for decision-making by the Pematangsiantar City Government.