Legislators warn of impending food crisis<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Members of the House of Representatives
\nexpressed concern here yesterday over the high prices of several
\nfoodstuffs, caused by scarcity of supply, saying that the
\nsituation could lead to a national food crisis.<\/p>\n
Jusuf Syakir of the United Development Party's (PPP) faction
\nat the House and Yahya Nasution of the Indonesian Democratic
\nParty's (PDI) faction were among the legislators who urged the
\ngovernment to take more serious steps in managing the national
\nfood supply.<\/p>\n
\"The soaring prices of red chilies and meat, as well as the
\nneed for Indonesia to import foodstuffs like rice, fruit, milk,
\ncorn and maybe even red chilies might be an indication that we
\nwill be facing a national food crisis,\" Yahya said at a meeting
\nof the House's Commission VII, which oversees food, trade and
\nfinancial affairs, with State Minister of Food Ibrahim Hasan
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
Yahya pointed out that the office of the State Minister of
\nFood should intensify its research into farming variety
\nimprovement, which is important to increase the productivity of
\nIndonesia's food resources.<\/p>\n
\"We don't want to be eating imported food when we enter the
\nfree trade era,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Jusuf said the scarcity and high prices of foodstuffs were at
\na serious stage, which necessitated the establishment of a
\nNational Food Council.<\/p>\n
\"I think a National Food Council would be very helpful to
\ncoordinate actions, so any food crisis can be quickly dealt
\nwith,\" Jusuf said.<\/p>\n
Chilies<\/p>\n
Legislators yesterday also questioned the government about the
\nsteep fluctuations of prices of red chilies in the last couple of
\nweeks.<\/p>\n
According to various news reports, prices of red chilies or
\ncabe merah across the country have lately soared by up to 300
\npercent.<\/p>\n
Observers say the price hike is due to the upcoming Idul Fitri
\nholiday and an increase in overall demand. The National Logistics
\nAgency, Bulog, earlier this week vowed to supply the market with
\nit's own stocks of red chilies, in a move to bring prices back to
\nnormal.<\/p>\n
But so far, such efforts have failed to cut down the
\ncommodity's prices.<\/p>\n
A number of analysts have recently suggested importing the
\ncommodity, which is an essential ingredient in most of the
\ncountry's food.<\/p>\n
Ibrahim said yesterday the demand for red chilies has been
\nincreasing world-wide over the last five years. During the same
\nperiod, demand in Indonesia has gone up by 30 percent.<\/p>\n
\"But the increase in demand has not been met by similar
\nincreases in production, productivity and planting areas... In
\nfact, production in 1993 decreased by 2.5 percent from 1992
\nprevious year,\" Ibrahim said.<\/p>\n
He said the increase in demand was caused by the growing
\nnumber of food-processing industries, such as instant noodles,
\nwhich used red chili as an ingredient.<\/p>\n
\"It is therefore understandable that prices of red chilies
\nhave soared from Rp 3,000 to up to Rp 15,000 per kg,\" he said.<\/p>\n
According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, production of
\nred chilies has shown negative growth since 1991, dropping by 2.5
\npercent to a low of 315,385 tons in 1993.<\/p>\n
However, production increased by 0.49 percent in 1994 to
\n316,915 tons.<\/p>\n
The growth of planting areas for red chilies also showed
\nnegative figures between 1991 -- when planting areas reached
\n168,061 hectares -- and 1993.<\/p>\n
In 1993, planting areas reached a low of 157,499 hectares,
\nalthough they increased by 3.56 percent in 1994 to 161,090
\nhectares.<\/p>\n
Productivity between 1991 and 1993 also showed slow growth, at
\nless than two percent. In 1994, productivity fell by 1.75 percent
\nto 1.96 tons per hectare, down from 2 tons per hectare in the
\nprevious year. (pwn)<\/p>",
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