Consumption of rice rises

Consumption of rice rises

JAKARTA (JP): National per capita rice consumption rose by 11
kilograms in the past 10 years, Minister of Agriculture Justika
Sjarifudin Baharsjah said Thursday.

Justika said the increase to 131 kilograms posed a challenge
for the country to feed its people in conjunction with the
decrease in agricultural land.

"The Ministry of Agriculture is facing a hard challenge in
boosting crops production, especially rice, due to the decreasing
land allocation," Justika said.

She added that the annual decrease in agricultural land in
Java was from 30,000 to 50,000 hectares. (gis)