Government reviews rice imports<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The government has scaled down estimates of its rice imports
\nfor this year as fears over possible severe drought caused by the
\nEl Nino weather phenomenon have waned.<\/p>\n
Chief of State Logistics Agency (Bulog) Widjanarko Puspoyo
\ntold reporters on Monday after a Cabinet meeting that the
\nagency's rice imports for this year would probably be less than
\none million tons against an initial target of 1.1 million tons.<\/p>\n
\"We have thus far imported 550,000 tons (of rice) and we
\nestimate the imports will be less than 1 million tons by the end
\nof this year,\" Widjanarko said.<\/p>\n
Last year, the agency imported 1.5 million tons.<\/p>\n
Aside from the agency, private companies also imported rice
\nfor the domestic market, but no data is available about their
\nimports.<\/p>\n
The agency was recently urged by several parties to import
\nmore than its initial target of 1.1 million tons amid fears that
\nthe drought, which has hit several parts of the country over the
\npast several months, could be long and detrimental to the
\ncountry's rice fields.<\/p>\n
Some parties feared that the drought was a sign that the El
\nNino weather phenomenon, which hit the country in 1997 and caused
\na drop in rice output, would return to the country this year.<\/p>\n
But, Coordinating Minister of the Economy Dorodjatun Kuntjoro
\nJakti said the state-owned Meteorology and Geophysics Agency had
\nstated that there was little chance that El Nino weather patterns
\nwould occur this year.<\/p>\n
Minister of Agriculture Bungaran Saragih said the country's
\nunhusked rice output reached 50.8 million tons and he was
\noptimistic that the initial output target of 52 million tons for
\nthis year would be achieved.<\/p>\n
Fifty-two million tons of unhusked rice is equal to 30 million
\ntons of husked rice.<\/p>\n
After the current dry season, the rainy season is expected to
\nstart in September, Bungaran said.<\/p>\n
Indonesia imports rice from Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, India
\nand China.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/government-reviews-rice-imports-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}