Khofifah Rejects Rice Imports In East Java: We Have Plenty Of Stocks Until May

ILLUSTRATION / BETWEEN

SURABAYA - East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa ensured that rice stocks in East Java were sufficient and safe, even in surplus until the end of May. Khofifah said that East Java did not need imported rice supplies.

"East Java does not need imported rice supplies. We can meet food needs and are able to maintain the stability of grain prices at the farm level", said Khofifah, in Surabaya, Monday, March 22.

Based on data from the East Java Agriculture and Food Security Service, rice stocks in the local area will be in surplus until the end of May 2021. This rice surplus in East Java will occur because, until the first semester of East Java's harvest area, the assumption is calculated until April of 974.189 hectares, assuming rice production of 3.053. 994 tons.

"So based on our predictions and calculations, in East Java, there will be a surplus of 902.401 tons. With that amount, East Java does not need imported rice supply, because our rice stock is very abundant. Even now the food task force team is traveling to absorb rice and the current rice harvest", she said.

In addition, based on the prognosis for the availability and need for staple food from January to April 2021, rice availability is assumed to be sufficient. Even the trend of rice prices will also be stable.

Khofifah emphasized that the rice availability figures mentioned above have not yet been calculated for the additional harvest area in May and June. The area of which is 295.118 ha with a production of 1.008.779 tons. So that East Java rice production up to semester 1 is 1.911.180 tons.

With this data, Khofifah said that the public need not be worried and anxious, because East Java's food stock is safe and in a very sufficient and surplus condition. She appealed to all people not to speculate so that it has an impact on price fluctuations in the market. "With the condition of surplus East Java rice, it is certain that price stability in the market will also be stable", she said.

In addition, Khofifah emphasized that production forecasts will not shift as happened in 2020. Even rice production in East Java is always increasing from year to year.

"I emphasize that the 2021 availability is very safe. In 2020 we also had a surplus of 1.9 million tons, which indirectly became stock or reserve", she said.