Karawang imports rice from Vietnam

Karawang, West Java: Karawang, one of Indonesia's main "rice bowl" areas, will be supplied with 13,000 tons of rice from Vietnam soon, according to local officials.

Officials of the Karawang food logistics agency (Bulog) however stressed that the Vietnamese rice would be used chiefly to beef up the local rice stocks. It is not an indication that the area has suffered from shortages, they said as reported by the Antara news agency.

Karawang's rice stock has dwindled to 13,000 tons of rice, well below the ideal target of 50,000 to 60,000, because local farmers prefer to sell their rice directly to the markets where they can obtain higher prices compared to those offered by Bulog or local village cooperatives. (rms)