Farmers protest over price of rice

MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi: At least 100 farmers from several regencies staged a nonviolent protest at the provincial legislative council on Monday over the price of unhusked rice.

The farmers, from the Association of South Sulawesi Farmers and the Corps of Farmers from Gowa, demanded the local administration protect the interests of farmers.

"We don't want the government and the people's representatives to just sit silent. The government has set the price of unhusked rice at Rp 1,400 per kilogram, but we farmers get only Rp 700," Anwar Tompo, the spokesman for the farmers, said. "The legislators should have fought for us."

He said the government should increase the price of rice to protect farmers against imported rice. "Imported rice contributes to our suffering."

Legislator Arif Sijaya, who met with the protesters, promised to convey the farmers' demand to the government.

Meanwhile, Maskur Sultan, the head of the economic affairs office at City Hall, said the administration had issued a ban on imported rice. "Imported rice won't be sold in this province." (27/sur)