Indonesia's rice production seen declining 6.25% this year<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's unhusked rice output is expected to
\ndrop 6.25 percent to 46.29 million metric tons this year, down
\nfrom 49.38 million tons in 1996, due to the planting season being
\ndelayed by the drought, the Central Bureau of Statistics
\nannounced yesterday.<\/p>\n
The government earlier estimated this year's rice production
\nwould drop by 3.80 percent.<\/p>\n
The bureau said the severe drought which hit the country last
\nyear and the delayed rice planting season affected the supply of
\nwater to many rice-producing regions and led to reduced yields
\nand crop failure.<\/p>\n
The drought reduced rice-planting areas by 4.13 percent to
\n10.68 million hectares this year from 11.14 million hectares last
\nyear, the bureau said in a statement sent to The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Reduction of fertilizers and pesticides used in rice farming
\nhas also resulted in a downward trend in the volume of rice
\nproduction, the bureau said, attributing this to farmers no
\nlonger being able to afford fertilizers.<\/p>\n
The bureau said the lack of Kalium chloride (KCl) and
\nsuperphospate (TSP) fertilizer in rice farming will hit both
\nquantity and quality, and make crops more vulnerable to disease.<\/p>\n
It said that rice productivity this year dropped 2.21 percent
\nto 43.34 quintals of unhusked rice per hectare from 44.32
\nquintals last year, due to the lack of KCl and TSP fertilizers
\nused in the rice farming.<\/p>\n
Minister of Agriculture Soleh Solahuddin announced last month
\nthat the KCl subsidy, which had been abolished, would be
\nreintroduced to help boost rice production.<\/p>\n
Soleh said the government's subsidy would be Rp 1,250, or 60
\npercent of its current price of Rp 2,100, per kilogram.<\/p>\n
\"If we can subsidize it by Rp 1,250, farmers can buy KCl
\nfertilizer at Rp 850 (per kilogram),\" he added.<\/p>\n
The bureau also announced increased production of several
\ncrops. The country's corn production this year is expected to
\nreach 9.17 million tons, up 4.56 percent from 8.77 million tons
\nlast year.<\/p>\n
Soybean production is expected to increase 2.21 percent to
\n1.39 million tons this year from 1.36 million tons in 1997 while
\ngreen bean production is predicted to jump 11.54 percent to
\n290,000 tons compared to 260,000 tons last year.<\/p>\n
Cassava production is estimated to reach 16.05 million tons
\nthis year, up 6.08 percent from 15.13 million tons in 1997.<\/p>\n
The country's peanut production, however, is expected to
\ndecline 2.4 percent to 670,000 tons this year from 690,000 tons
\nin 1997, while sweet potato production is expected to reach 1.8
\nmillion tons, down 2.7 percent from 1.85 million tons last year.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is expected to import 3.1 million tons of rice from
\nThailand, India, China, Vietnam and Pakistan to make up for
\nshortages in domestic production this year. (gis)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesias-rice-production-seen-declining-625-this-year-1447893297",
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