RI to buy rice from Taiwan

RI to buy rice from Taiwan

TAIPEI (DPA): Indonesia, with its rice harvest hit by drought, has asked to buy 300,000 tons of rice from Taiwan, the Council of Agriculture (COA) said.

The COA said Taiwan has agreed to sell Indonesia 50,000 tons, with the possibility of another 50,000 tons later.

COA official Ku Teh-yeh said a larger sale would depend on this year's harvest. "Our priority is to maintain a safety stock for the domestic market," he said.

The Indonesian Trade and Economic Office to Taipei said it negotiated the deal at the request of Indonesia's rice bureau.

"We still hope Taiwan can satisfy our full request because our two countries are close friends," an official at the office said, asking not to be named.