Rice Imports Rise Capai 3.22 Million Tons

Rice (Photo: dock. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) recorded that Indonesia's rice imports in the January-September 2024 period reached 3.22 million tons or 2.01 billion US dollars.

Acting Head of the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti said the volume of rice imports rose 80.68 percent when compared to the January-September 2023 period which was 1.78 million tons, and the value rose 105 percent from 980.44 million US dollars.

"For rice imports from January to September 2024, 3.2 million tons or 2.01 billion US dollars were recorded," he said at a press conference, Tuesday, October 15.

Amalia explained specifically in September 2024, rice imports reached 173.29 thousand tons, down when compared to the previous month 202.65 thousand tons, and September 2023 194.35 thousand tons.

Meanwhile, the import value in September 2024 was 98.39 billion US dollars, also down compared to August 2024 which was 114.41 billion US dollars, and September 2023 for 116,82 billion US dollars.

Meanwhile, based on their home country, rice imports throughout this year mostly came from Thailand weighing 1.14 million tons. Vietnam 988.04 thousand tons, Pakistan 463.39 thousand tons, Myanmar 407.66 thousand tons, and India 202.67 thousand tons.

Meanwhile, the import value from Thailand was 739.44 billion US dollars, Vietnam 610.23 billion US dollars, Myanmar 610.23 billion US dollars, Pakistan 290.70 billion US dollars, Myanmar 251.88 billion US dollars, and India 100.95 billion US dollars.

"So, for their home countries, many of them come from Thailand, Vietnam and Pakistan," he explained.

In line with this, Amalia estimates that national rice production in 2024 will decrease by 760,000 tons by 2024 to 30.34 million tons, or a decrease of 2.43 percent compared to last year's 31.10 million tons.

Amalia explained that rice production decreased because in the period January to April 2024 rice production fell by 14.74 percent or as much as 1.91 million tons. In addition, the decline in rice production is also in line with the rice harvest area from January to August which decreased by 64,000 hectares or decreased by 15.21 percent.

As for 2024, the harvest area is estimated to reach only 10.05 million hectares or a decrease of 17,000 hectares from 2023.

"The rice harvest area fell due to the impact of the El Nino phenomenon in Semester II 2023, which then caused the planting season to fall back," he said.

Amalia said that although rice production fell from January to April 2024, in May to April 2024 it reached 16 thousand tons, an increase of 1.47 percent, and from September to December it was estimated to increase by 1 million tons, an increase of 13.39 percent, compared to the same period last year.

Amalia explained that the Java region is the area that produces the most rice nationally, reaching 16.45 million tons. Sumatra reached 6.67 million tons, Sulawesi reached 3.98 million tons.

Then, Kalimantan reached 1.43 million tons, Maluku and Papua reached 21 thousand tons, and Bali and Nusa Tenggara reached 1.61 million tons.