Food security policies need reevaluation

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."