Food importation worries farmers

Food importation worries farmers

From Bisnis Indonesia

The agricultural ministry's policy on the importation of food, particularly rice, from China may indeed lead to a dilemma.

On the one hand, it will create competition between domestic and imported rice. Then farmers will worry that their rice will not find buyers in the market or that the price of their rice will go down.

As a matter of fact, in the case of imported food, including rice, the government should not only take into account price competition and domestic rice stocks but it should also consider food as a strategic matter.

It must be admitted that the handling of food importation is still sectoral in nature. This matter is handled only by existing agencies. In fact, the Indonesian government should view the basic problem of agricultural liberalization.

VALERY SETIAWAN

Bengkulu