Food security

I wish to congratulate The Jakarta Post on their well-balanced and realistic editorial on the subject of securing sufficient food, especially rice, for the ever-growing population of this nation.

At the same time, I would like to add some other thoughts and remarks to this. It is right that Indonesia achieved self- sufficiency in rice in 1984, and was able to maintain it for some years as well. Due to the adverse climatic conditions on the one hand, but also due to the conversion of agricultural land into housing and industrial land, this self-sufficiency was lost again a few years ago. Indonesia became the second biggest importer of rice after China, although this also includes political importations.

For that reason, it is quite plausible that new areas, like the swamp land in Kalimantan, will be converted into rice plantations. However, again, things are not as positive as they might appear. First of all, from an environmental point of view, the conversion idea is still being debated, by government circles in particular. Secondly, it has yet to be proven that this conversion, given that a certain type of land is required for peat land, will really be a success. Many experts argue that the land's humus will float on the water and be washed away in two years at the latest, leaving only barren land.

The decision of the Ministry of Agriculture to gradually phase out of the market 57 of the most important and internationally used and registered crop protection products, which make up 40 percent of the Indonesian insecticide market (although they were not meant for use in rice farming) might add to the self- sufficiency problems that already exist, i.e. for vegetables and fruits, which also are an important part of the national diet.

A side effect of that decision will also be the probable price increase for the remaining products on the market, which the farmer and, subsequently, the consumer -- the people of Indonesia -- have to bear.

ROLAND WOEHRLE

Jakarta