Rice, corn, soybean output seen to slip this year<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The country's production of unhusked rice, corn
\nand soybean will likely slip this year due to a decrease in total
\ncrop areas as well as productivity, according to the Central
\nBureau of Statistics (BPS).<\/p>\n
BPS chief Soedarti Surbakti said here on Monday the country's
\nunhusked rice production was estimated to fall 3.28 percent to
\n50.22 million tons this year from 51.90 million tons in 2000.<\/p>\n
The projected fall was based on predictions that the country's
\ntotal area covered by paddy fields would drop 3.17 percent to
\n11.42 million hectares, while the fields' productivity would
\ndecrease 0.11 percent to 4,396 kilograms a hectare this year, she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The BPS chief also said that this year's shelled corn
\nproduction was also projected to decline 3.92 percent to 9.30
\nmillion tons from last year's 9.68 million tons.<\/p>\n
She said that factors behind the decline in corn output
\nincluded a decrease in corn harvest area and lower land
\nproductivity.<\/p>\n
Corn harvest area was estimated to decline 3.84 percent to
\n5.56 million hectares this year, while corn field productivity
\ndropped 0.43 percent to 2,753 kilograms a hectare this year, she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
According to her, the country will also face a 9.27 percent
\ndrop in soybean production to 920,000 tons this year from 1.02
\nmillion tons last year.<\/p>\n
The year's estimated drop was the result of an estimated 2.92
\npercent decrease to 800,000 hectares in crop area and a predicted
\n6.48 percent fall to 1,154 kilograms a hectare in productivity,
\nhe added.<\/p>\n
Tourists<\/p>\n
BPS also reported that the number of foreign visitors arriving
\nin Indonesia increased 5.68 percent in May to 367,800 from
\n348,100 the previous month, despite the country's increasing
\npolitical turbulence.<\/p>\n
Soedarti said that the rise was the result of increased
\nconfidence among tourists that the country's current political
\nuncertainty had not affected security conditions.<\/p>\n
Between January and May 2001, total foreign tourist arrivals
\nat 13 points of entry increased 5.99 percent to 1.69 million from
\n1.6 million during the same period last year.<\/p>\n
The 13 points of entry to Indonesia are airports in Jakarta,
\nBali, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, East Java, Central Java, West
\nNusa Tenggara, North Sulawesi and South Sulawesi; sea ports in
\nBatam, Jakarta and Riau; and a land-border crossing in Entikong,
\nWest Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
Visitor arrivals rose sharpest at Polonia Airport in North
\nSumatra, where a 25.25 percent increase was recorded, followed by
\nSoekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta at 14.16 percent.<\/p>\n
Tourist arrivals in May this year at Adi Sumarmo Airport in
\nSolo, Central Java also surged 14.2 percent, but those at Ngurah
\nRai International Airport in Bali suffered a 4.87 percent drop.<\/p>\n
Tourist arrivals at Sam Ratulangi Airport in North Sulawesi
\nand at Selaparang Airport in West Nusa Tenggara also fell 35.07
\npercent and 2.91 percent respectively.<\/p>\n
The average occupancy rate at star-rated hotels in 10 tourist
\ndestinations stood at 42.86 percent in April this year compared
\nto 44.72 percent in March, the bureau reported.<\/p>\n
The highest hotel occupancy rates were in Bali at 60.22
\npercent and the lowest in South Sulawesi at 17.94
\npercent.(05\/tnt)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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