2003 rice output seen at 54m tons

2003 rice output seen at 54m tons

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Minister of Agriculture Bungaran Saragih expressed confidence
on Wednesday that the country's unhusked rice output would reach
54 million tons in 2003, higher than this year's target of 53
million tons.

"After seeing the report from the Central Bureau of Statistics
(BPS), I am optimistic that the total unhusked output will reach
54 million tons next year," Bungaran told reporters on the
sidelines of a meeting with the House of Representatives's
Commission III for agriculture and food affairs.

He was referring to the BPS data, which reported that the
country's gross domestic product (GDP) rose by 2.15 percent in
the first quarter of the year compared with the same period last
year, thanks to a 16.51 percent growth in the agricultural
sector.

"I have traveled to several production centers, there are
positive signals about the increase in unhusked output in the
coming years, as the climate continues to improve," Bungaran
said.

In order to meet this year's target, the government will
encourage farmers to cultivate idle land in several areas, he
said.

"We aim to cultivate one million hectares of idle land this
year and boost farmers' productivity," he said.

Bungaran added he was optimistic this year's rice production
target was achievable, as the El Nino weather phenomenon might
not return this year as predicted.

El Nino, which brought drought to many parts of the
archipelago in 1998, has been predicted by experts to return this
year.

Data from the ministry showed that the country's paddy fields
to be harvested in 2002 will reach 11.8 million hectares with
productivity of about 45 percent.

It also predicted the country's corn output would reach 12
million tons in 2002, up from this year's target of 11.5 million.

The country's soybean production is estimated to reach
1.43 million tons in 2004 from this year's target of 1.1 million
tons with a total harvest area of 1.1 million hectares.

The BPS projected earlier that the total harvest area in 2002
would fall 3.02 percent to only 10.99 million hectares.

However, many agricultural experts have repeatedly warned that
the country's unhusked output will steadily decline in the next
few years, in line with a decrease in rice fields.

They also blamed the decline on the farmers's lack of interest
in planting rice due to the government's rice policy, which was
aimed at maintaining a low price, disregarding farmers' welfare.

Indonesia achieved self-sufficiency in rice in 1984, but since
then its rice output has continued to decline, forcing Indonesia
to import the commodity.

Indonesia's rice imports reached 6 million tons in 1998. This
figure fell to 4 million tons in 1999, 1.5 million tons in 2000,
and 1.5 million tons last year.