India Stops Rice Exports, Trade Minister Zulhas: That's Why RI Must Be Self-Sufficiency In Food

Minister of Trade Zulhas (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Minister of Trade (Mendag) Zulkifli Hasan spoke about the Indian government's decision to stop rice exports. According to him, Indonesia should not depend on imports.

Furthermore, Zulhas, as Zulkifli Hasan is familiarly called, believes that Indonesia has been able to temporarily monitor food.

"That's why we have to be self-sufficient in food. Even though I am the Minister of Trade, I don't like imports to continue," he said when met at Hotel Four Season, Jakarta, Friday, July 28.

As is known, the Government of India issued a policy to prohibit non-Basmati rice exports. This policy took effect from last July 20 as an effort to prevent the surge in India's domestic rice prices. Meanwhile, India is one of the rice exporters countries for Indonesia.

Head of the National Food Agency (NFA) Arief Prasetyo Adi said the policy would significantly not affect national food security conditions.

Furthermore, Arief said the government had prepared various steps to maintain supply stability and rice prices.

"We will make sure that Indonesia has sufficient stock, the calculation of carry-over from 2022 to 2023 is around 4 million tons, then from the KSA (Regional Sample Framework) we have production of more than 2.8 million tons in May, so we are optimistic that rice is safe," he said, written Tuesday, July 25.

According to the President's direction at the Cabinet Meeting on Tuesday, July 18, said Arief, the Food Agency has prepared Government Rice Reserves (CBP) whose fulfillment is prioritized to come from within the country.

The assignment of CBP procurement of as much as two million tons is carried out through the importation of Perum Bulog from several countries, excluding India. In fact, according to Arief, it was the Indian government that offered to trade balancing with Indonesia.

"Tradet balance India with Indonesia lost a lot, so friends from India expect us to import one of them from India, so they are indeed asking the Indonesian government to balance or trade balance because our CPO exports are much bigger," he said.