Indonesia imports rice from Taiwan

Indonesia imports rice from Taiwan

Taipei (DPA): Indonesia has sent a freighter to Taiwan to pick up the 50,000 tons of rice it has bought from Taiwan to ease its rice shortage, it was disclosed Thursday.

The Cambodian-registered Un Bong arrived in the Taichung Harbour on Sunday. Loading begins Saturday, the Central Trust of China (CTC) which handles exports, said.

"The first shipment is 8,000 tons," a CTC official said asking not to be named.

The loading will take between one or two weeks, he added.

Taiwan is willing to discuss selling more rice to Indonesia after the 50,000 tons have been shipped, Council of Agricultural official Ku Teh-ye said earlier.

Press reports said Indonesia is buying rice from Taiwan, Thailand and India.

"We need two million tons of rice as safety stock. But we don't have that much this year due to drought and other reasons," said Ortoro, chairman of Indonesian Economic & Trade Office in Taipei.

"Raining season should have started in August. But it is beginning now," he said.

"If the rain is plentiful, we can have a good harvest in January," he said.

The other two reasons for the rice shortage are the decrease of rice paddies and the changed eating habits.

"Lots of rice fields around Jakarta have been developed for infrastructure or industrial sites. And due to improved living standard, those who used to eat corn or cassava are eating rice," he said.

"For example, people in East Indonesia used to eat sago, the starchy white grains inside some palm-trees. Now they are eating rice," he said.