IPB Chancellors Remember The Importance Of Data Accuracy Regarding Rice Import Polemics

The Chancellor of the Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) Arif Satria. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Chancellor of the Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) Arif Satria reminded the importance of data accuracy related to the recent rice import polemic.

According to the General Chairperson of the Indonesian Muslim Intellectual Association (ICMI), the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) has a crucial role in this matter. This is because data is important to determine whether imports are necessary.

"The key to everything related to import or export policies or these steps is about data. This is where BPS becomes crucial, it is important to play a role because this data is a source for more accurate, faster decision making," he said in the webinar "Polemic of Rice Imports at the End of the Year", quoted from Antara, Tuesday, December 27.

This is important because currently Indonesia has a one-data policy.

"There is only one source of data, namely the BPS can convey accurate data, so as a basis for whether it is necessary to import or not," he said.

Arif said the national expansion policy was very sensitive economically and politically because it was a strategic commodity.

He said rice production itself relies heavily on various variables, especially in the midst of climate change that is currently happening. Not to mention the shock of the Russia-Ukraine conflict which caused an energy crisis so that the price of fertilizers rose.

"On the other hand, land conversion, which is always the challenge to spur productivity, has become a necessity," he said.

Arif said the phenomenon of these conflicts had actually been predicted by IPB in August. In this prediction, it is stated that at the end of the year there will be a price increase and there will be a decline in production of around 0.68 percent if in the previous three or four months there was no maximum effort.

"If there is a special effort, a breakthrough (breakthrough) from the government, of course production will continue to rise above 1 percent, and prices will be more under control," said Arif Satria.