BPS increases its rice forecast<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) has
\nincreased its unhusked rice production forecast for this planting
\nyear to 46.44 million metric tons from an initial estimate of
\n46.29 million tons.<\/p>\n
Minister of Agriculture Soleh Solahuddin said on Thursday the
\nupward revision was made due to a better-than-expected rice
\nharvest in August and September.<\/p>\n
But he said this year's rice production would still be lower
\nthan the 49.38 million tons recorded in 1997.<\/p>\n
\"BPS revised the forecast after considering the good August-
\nSeptember harvest, which was better than we previously expected,\"
\nSoleh said at a workshop on agricultural statistics, which was
\nalso attended by BPS director Sugito Suwito.<\/p>\n
The government earlier estimated the country's rice production
\nthis planting year to drop 6.25 percent from last year's yield
\ndue to a delay in the planting season.<\/p>\n
Soleh said the previous estimate, issued in the middle of
\nJune, was given after poor harvests were recorded from February
\nto April this year.<\/p>\n
The country's rice planting year consists of three harvest
\nseasons: February, August and January.<\/p>\n
Soleh, however, said he still believed that Indonesia's
\nunhusked rice production this planting year would total 48.35
\nmillion tons, 4.5 percent higher than the government's initial
\ntarget.<\/p>\n
He based his estimate on the government's efforts to increase
\nthe amount of land under cultivation and to help farmers boost
\nproductivity.<\/p>\n
\"We have subsidized fertilizers to help farmers produce more
\nrice this planting season. So I guarantee that we will have a
\ngood harvest in February. After that, we can flood the market
\nwith our rice,\" Soleh said.<\/p>\n
Should 48.35 million tons of unhusked rice be harvested, it
\ncould be processed into 29 million tons of milled rice. The
\ncountry's rice consumption is expected to total 31 million tons
\nthis year.<\/p>\n
To make up for the shortage, the government plans to import as
\nmuch as 4.1 million tons of rice this fiscal year.<\/p>\n
Other crops<\/p>\n
Sugito said the bureau had also revised its production
\nforecast for several other crops. BPS expects corn production to
\nreach 9.79 million tons, up 11.66 percent from 8.77 million tons
\nlast year.<\/p>\n
In June, the bureau predicted the country's corn production
\nwould total 9.17 million tons.<\/p>\n
Soybean production is forecasted to drop 3.22 percent to 1.31
\nmillion tons this year from 1.36 million tons in 1997, while
\ngreen bean production is predicted to jump 16 percent to 303,181
\ntons compared to 260,000 tons last year.<\/p>\n
The bureau had previously predicted a 1.39 million ton soybean
\nharvest and a 290,000 ton green bean harvest for the year.<\/p>\n
Cassava yields are estimated to total 14.88 million tons this
\nyear, a 1.62 percent drop from 15.13 million tons in 1997.<\/p>\n
The bureau had earlier predicted it could be as high as 16.05
\nmillion tons.<\/p>\n
The country's peanut production is expected to decline 0.24
\npercent to 683,280 tons this year from 690,000 tons in 1997,
\nwhile sweet potato production is forecasted to reach 1.9 million
\ntons, up 3.1 percent from 1.85 million tons last year.<\/p>\n
BPS previously predicted peanut and sweet potato harvests at
\n670,000 tons and 1.8 million tons respectively. (gis)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bps-increases-its-rice-forecast-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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