Tragedy of excess
Tragedy of excess
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) director for Asia
Pacific, Yusuke Horiguchi, has predicted that the Indonesian
economy will grow by more than 4 percent this year while
inflation will remain within a single digit. Arigato, Horiguchi,
San, honto (Thank you, Mr. Horiguchi, really).
But I would also like to thank the governor of Central Java,
Mardiyanto, for stopping (at least he has issued the order to
that effect) rice imports entering through the port of Semarang,
or coming by road or sea into the territory under his
jurisdiction from other parts of Indonesia.
The central government through its logistics agency has
stepped up its purchases of unhusked rice. But it did little to
stop the slide of the price of, for instance, the Ciasadane-type
of rice, from Rp 2,250 per kg to Rp 1,800. Unhusked paddy that
was sold just a week ago for Rp 1,300 per kg plunged to only Rp
900. The situation is now that imported rice is cheaper to buy
than locally produced rice.
Rice imported through Tanjung Priok harbor has reached a
surplus of about 60 percent, or a level of 50,000 tons. In
Central Java, most farmers have an additional burden, to repay
loans they have received from cooperatives. The real harvest
time, when markets will be inundated by unhulled paddy, will come
in a month's time, and will only serve to make matters worse.
It is indeed a frightening prospect for the rice farmers and
their families, who have been toiling hard this year to pay back
their loans and have little left for other expenses. No wonder
that a delegation of rice farmers from West Java visited the
House of Representatives and urged the authorities to do
something about the situation.
A group of sugar cane growers earlier complained that imported
sugar costs less than domestically produced sugar. How could
they gain a "reasonable profit"? I have no answer except to urge
foreign investors, foreigners and ambassadors to consume more
local rice, such as Cianjur, not just Ramos.
Governer c'est prevoir (to govern is looking ahead), the
French might say. After his return from Havana, Cuba, maybe
President Abdurrahman Wahid will come up with a magic formula.
The farmers are waiting, that is for sure!
GANDHI SUKARDI
Jakarta