Highest For 5 Years, Indonesia Imports Rice Capai 3.06 Million Tons In 2023

Rice (photo: Doc Antara)

JAKARTA - The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) noted that Indonesia during 2023 had imported 3.06 million tons of rice. This figure is the highest in the last 5 years.

"Over the last 5 years, rice imports in 2023 are the largest at 3.06 million tons or an increase of 613.61 percent compared to 2022," said Deputy for Distribution and Services Statistics at BPS, Pudji Ismartini in his statement, quoted Tuesday, January 16, 2024.

Pudji said that in 2019 Indonesia imported 444.51 thousand tons of rice, and in 2020 it decreased to 356.29 thousand tons.

However, in 2021 rice imports will again increase to 407.74 thousand tons, in 2022 it will increase to 429.21 thousand tons, and in 2023 it will reach 3.06 million tons.

"Imports of rice in 2023 amounting to 3.06 million tons are dominated by semi-milled or total milled rice of 2.7 million tons with a share of 88.18 percent. Then, broken rice, other than of a kind as much as 345 thousand tons or around 11.29 percent of total imports", said Pudji.

Meanwhile, based on their country of origin, during 2023 Indonesia mostly imports of rice from Thailand, namely 1.38 million tons or covering 45.12 percent of total rice imports.

Furthermore, rice imports from Vietnam amounted to 1.14 million tons or 37.47 percent, Pakistan 309 thousand tons or 10.10 percent, Myanmar 141 thousand tons or 4.61 percent, and others 83 thousand tons or 2.70 percent of the total rice imports.

Pudji said that rice is included in the sercia category such as wheat which also experienced the largest increase in import value during 2023.

BPS noted that Serealia's commodity share of total imports was 2.26 percent or an increase of 1 billion US dollars compared to 2022.