Food security policies need reevaluation

Urip Hudiono, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

In a bid to provide wider public access to food supplies as well as to prevent malnutrition cases from reoccurring, the government needs to thoroughly reevaluate its current food security policies.

The policies should include improving the management of staple food production, stockpiles, price levels, and most importantly, the distribution chain.

Coordinating Minister for the Economy Aburizal Bakrie said on Wednesday at the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) office that recent malnutrition cases indicated the inadequacy of current policies. He acknowledged, however, that it was ironic that the malnutrition cases occurred in the country's centers of food production.

"We must therefore change our paradigm, from stressing production to improving people's welfare," he said.

"Production is of course important, but what is more important is to improve food distribution, as well as people's welfare and their access to staple foods."

Cases of malnutrition have recently come to light in various provinces, notably in East Nusa Tenggara and Lampung.

Apart from ordering Bulog to strengthen its stockpiles and distribution chains in these areas, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono recently launched a national program to revitalize the country's agriculture, fishery and forestry sectors as well, in order to address the issue.

Considering the government's efforts in boosting domestic food production, much attention is needed on how to optimize the production capability of existing farm lands.

"We have to improve farmer's irrigation facilities, fertilizer supplies and bank loans. We also have to improve staple food prices in a bid to raise farmer's welfare as well," he said. "We also have to watch out for possible impacts of recently soaring oil prices on domestic food prices."

Bulog chief Widjanarko Puspoyo said the agency was prepared to carry out the government's policies in securing the nation's food needs, including supporting the government's program of distributing subsidized rice to low-income families.

He said Bulog's rice stockpile throughout the country currently stands at 1.78 million tons, which is enough to satisfy demands until next April.

Widjanarko, however, warned the government that recently increasing rice prices could affect the public's purchasing power during the upcoming after-harvest period.

"The price increase is a result of the recent crackdown on smuggled rice in areas outside Java, disrupting their supply," he said. "Meanwhile, several rice producing countries, such as Vietnam, have been limiting their exports as they also need to fulfill their own domestic demand."