W. Sumatra to import 25,000 tons of rice

JAKARTA (JP): The West Sumatra provincial office of the National Logistics Agency will import 25,000 tons of rice from Thailand, Taiwan, and India to anticipate a shortage, an official says.

"The imported rice will arrive by the end of this month," M. Rusmin, head of the office's operation section, told House members from Jakarta who visited Padang, West Sumatra, early this week.

He said the import will increase the local agency's rice stocks to 106,000 tons.

"Nearly 49,000 tons have been designated for market operations over the next four months," Rusmin said as quoted by Antara.

He said the market operations of the agency over the last few months had successfully reduced the rice price, bringing the province's inflation rate down to only 0.11 percent last month.

Chairman of the National Logistics Agency Beddu Amang ordered his local subordinates last month to conduct market operations in order to curb rising rice prices.

Beddu asked the heads of the agency's local offices to make sure that their storehouses are always stocked with sufficient supplies of rice. (01)