RI delays rice imports from Thailand<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Chairman of the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) Widjanarko
\nPuspoyo said on Wednesday the planned rice import from Thailand
\nwould not materialize this year as the two countries had yet to
\nreach agreement over a US$40 million barter deal.<\/p>\n
He expected the rice import from Thailand would take place
\nnext year.<\/p>\n
Indonesia and Thailand are planning a countertrade deal, under
\nwhich the former would import a total of 200,000 tons of rice
\nfrom the latter in exchange for one CN-235 aircraft, 122 train
\ncar units, and shipments of ammonia, a chemical substance used in
\nthe production of fertilizer.<\/p>\n
Minister of Trade and Industry Rini MS Soewandi had signed a
\nmemorandum of understanding (MoU) on the barter plan with her
\nThailand counterpart a few months ago.<\/p>\n
Of the 200,000 tons of rice to be swapped, some 100,000 tons
\nhad been expected to materialize this year.<\/p>\n
But Widjanarko said that the countertrade plan had to be
\ndelayed as Thailand had yet to agree to the terms.<\/p>\n
"Thailand demands the condition of the airplane be upgraded
\nfirst before it agrees to sign the deal," he told reporters on
\nthe sidelines of a meeting with the House of Representatives
\nCommission III on agriculture, forestry and maritime.<\/p>\n
He also said that Bulog had canceled plans to import rice from
\nCambodia because the price demanded by the latter country was
\ndeemed as too high.<\/p>\n
"Cambodia wants to sell their rice at $230 per metric ton, but
\nwe think the price should be about $195 per metric ton. So we
\ncanceled it," he said.<\/p>\n
But Widjanarko was quick to add that the lower rice import
\nvolume would not endanger the national rice stock.<\/p>\n
Bulog had initially planned to import more than 1 million tons
\nof rice this year.<\/p>\n
Some 600,000 tons of rice would be imported from Vietnam,
\n250,000 tons from China, 100,000 tons from the U.S., 100,000 tons
\nfrom Thailand and the remainder from Cambodia.<\/p>\n
Widjanarko said that as of September, Bulog had imported
\n635,000 tons of rice from Vietnam and China.<\/p>\n
Rice is the main staple of most Indonesians.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-delays-rice-imports-from-thailand-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }