Riau faces rice shortage

PEKANBARU, Riau: A government official expressed concern on Monday over the low rice supply in Riau province.

The province produces only 350,000 tons of rice annually, less than half of the needs of the Riau population at 650,000 tons of rice a year.

The provincial government and private companies have been forced to import rice from other provinces across the nation to plug up the shortage in Riau, said Riau Food Agency head Suhada Tasman. Most of the land in Riau are peat moss bogs, and are unfit to grow rice. -- JP