Bulog to raise rice reserves to 2 million tons<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto instructed the National
\nLogistics Agency (Bulog) yesterday to increase its buffer stocks
\nof rice to about two million tons by the end of the 1995-1996
\nfiscal year.<\/p>\n
\"The President has instructed all relevant agencies to make a
\ncoordinated effort to enable the targeted level of two million
\ntons in rice buffer stocks to be met by 1995-1996,\" Bulog
\nchairman Beddu Amang said after a meeting with Soeharto at the
\nBina Graha presidential office.<\/p>\n
Beddu was accompanied by Minister\/State Secretary Moerdiono in
\nyesterday's meeting.<\/p>\n
\"Our buffer stocks of rice at the moment are about one million
\ntons,\" Beddu said.<\/p>\n
He said in March that the rice buffer stocks stood at about
\n800,000 tons.<\/p>\n
Beddu said yesterday that Bulog would not import rice if it
\nmanaged to achieve the target through domestic procurement. He
\nsaid that farmers and traders were continuing to hoard rice.<\/p>\n
\"Such actions, however, will not last long,\" he said.<\/p>\n
A severe drought last year slashed Indonesia's rice production
\nby four percent from its 1993 level, to 46.40 million tons of
\nunhusked rice.<\/p>\n
The drought also brought the country's rice supply to its
\nlowest level in 15 years, forcing Bulog to import for the first
\ntime in many years.<\/p>\n
The government predicts that this year's rice output will be
\n1.5 percent higher than last year's level.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, formerly the biggest rice importer in the world,
\nbecame self sufficient in rice in 1984. Rice is the main staple
\nof Indonesia's 193 million people.<\/p>\n
Commodities<\/p>\n
Beddu made no mention, at yesterday's press conference, of the
\nretail prices of several Bulog-controlled commodities.<\/p>\n
There were several press reports yesterday that the prices of
\nwheat flour, cooking oil and sugar were continuing to rise,
\ndespite earlier assurances by Bulog and market intervention by
\nthe agency.<\/p>\n
The importation and distribution of wheat flour, cooking oil,
\nsugar and rice are controlled exclusively by Bulog.<\/p>\n
The Kompas daily reported yesterday that the price of wheat
\nflour at various market places here had crept up to about Rp 900
\n(about 40 U.S. cents) per kilogram. Bulog had previously set a
\nprice of Rp 800, or Rp 616 at the factory gates.<\/p>\n
The daily reported that retail prices of white sugar had
\nreached about Rp 1500 per kilogram, as compared with the Bulog
\nprice range of Rp 1,300 to Rp 1,400.<\/p>\n
The report said that retail prices of cooking oil had risen to
\nRp 1,470 per kilogram, as compared with the Bulog price of Rp
\n1,420.<\/p>\n
Bulog's grip on various non-rice commodities has been
\ncriticized by various observers, including the World Bank, as
\ninefficient and counter-productive.<\/p>\n
Beddu said last week that Bulog would downsize its operations
\nin the near future as part of the country's deregulation program.
\n(hdj)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bulog-to-raise-rice-reserves-to-2-million-tons-1447893297",
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