Rice production set to rise 8.3% next year<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's rice production, which is projected
\nto decline by 3.85 percent this year, is set to increase by 8.3
\npercent next year to 53.2 million tons of unhusked rice.<\/p>\n
Minister of Agriculture Sjarifudin Baharsjah said the
\nprolonged drought plaguing the country this year had delayed the
\nplanting season to the later part of this year and the harvest
\nwould come next year.<\/p>\n
\"The delay in rice planting will eventually adversely affect
\nrice production in 1998, especially for January and February,\"
\nSjarifudin said at a working session with the House of
\nRepresentatives Commission III for agriculture, forestry,
\ntransmigration and food affairs.<\/p>\n
Sjarifudin projected that the output of unhusked rice would
\nonly reach 1.4 million tons for January and 2.8 million tons for
\nFebruary.<\/p>\n
But rice production would top 10.2 million tons in March and
\n10.5 million tons in April as a result of the delay in the
\nprevious year's planting season.<\/p>\n
Rice output would reach 5.3 million tons in May, 3.2 million
\ntons in June, 3.8 million tons in July, 4.9 million tons in
\nAugust, 4.1 million tons in September, 2.6 million tons in
\nOctober, 1.7 million tons in November and 1.4 million tons in
\nDecember.<\/p>\n
Schedules<\/p>\n
\"We have completed monthly planting schedules for all
\nprovinces to reach the target of 53.2 million tons of unhusked
\nrice for 1998,\" Sjarifudin said.<\/p>\n
Rice is the main staple food for most of Indonesia's 200
\nmillion people.<\/p>\n
He said the current drought plaguing the country would bring
\ndown the country's rice production to 49.1 million tons from 51
\nmillion tons last year.<\/p>\n
Although some experts say that this year's drought was the
\nworst in 50 years, Sjarifudin contended yesterday that the effect
\nwas not as bad as that recorded in 1991.<\/p>\n
He said the 1991 drought damaged 847,917 hectares of rice
\nfields. But this year's drought destroyed only 476,277 hectares
\nof rice fields, including 209 hectares burned by forest fires.<\/p>\n
\"So, the impact of this year's drought is relatively small,
\ncompared to 1991,\" Sjarifudin said.<\/p>\n
Most destroyed rice fields are in West, Central and East Java,
\nSouth Sulawesi, Lampung, South Sumatra, South Kalimantan and
\nNorth Sumatra.<\/p>\n
Despite the decline in rice output for this year, Sjarifudin
\nsaid there was no need to worry about a domestic shortage because
\nhusked rice consumption would still be below production levels.<\/p>\n
He said the country's population would consume only about 26.3
\nmillion tons this year, while husked rice production would reach
\n31.3 million tons. Thus, there would be almost 5 million tons in
\nsurplus.<\/p>\n
For 1998, husked rice consumption would stand at 26.7 million
\ntons, while production would reach 34.6 million tons.<\/p>\n
\"If we can meet our husked rice production target of 34.6
\nmillion tons for next year, we will book a surplus of 7.2 million
\ntons of unhusked rice,\" Sjarifudin said. (rid)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rice-production-set-to-rise-83-next-year-1447893297",
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"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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