Imports Become The Main Factor Of The Raising Of Indonesia's Food Security Ranking

Illustration. (Photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Professor of the Faculty of Agriculture, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) and agricultural observer Dwi Andreas Santosa revealed that the index of Indonesian food security continues to increase. In 2015, Indonesia's food security index was ranked 75th out of 113 countries, and rose to 62nd in 2019.

However, said Andreas, it is very unfortunate that this increase is due to the fact that Indonesia is increasingly importing. Indonesia's food security does not seem to care where the food comes from.

"The question is, why is our position rising? Because it is very, very unfortunate because the factor is imports. Food security does not care where food comes from," he said, during the IDX Channel program, Tuesday, July 14.

Andreas explained, Indonesia's food imports jumped from 22 million tons or only 8 commodities in 2014. Then, in 2018 the figure became 28 million or jumped 6 million tons in a relatively short time.

Therefore, spurring domestic production is the only way so that food security no longer relies on imports. If not, then the food scarcity crisis that occurred in the Middle East during the Arab Spring could occur in Indonesia.

Apart from encouraging domestic production, the government also needs to boost people's income levels. This is to ensure affordability of food by the community. This factor is the key to Singapore's success in increasing food security.

Bulog Will Build 14 Warehouses

To maintain food security, Perum Bulog will soon build new warehouses in a number of areas. The steps taken by the state-owned food sector company are to support the development of food storage in Kalimantan.

President Director of Perum Bulog, Budi Waseso, said that the warehouses built for these 14 regions will be able to store rice for a relatively long period of time.

Buwas, as he is usually called, explained that the construction of the new warehouse was based on the development of agriculture in several areas. In addition, the construction of this new warehouse is also in accordance with the needs.

"We are building warehouses for areas that produce soybeans. We are building warehouses in areas that do produce rice," he said.

The former Head of the National Narcotics Agency explained that later this new warehouse would be Selo, where in one Selo it could accommodate up to 2,000 tons of unhulled rice, equipped with technology and regular temperature.

"So that we store the unhulled rice for two years. There is no change whatsoever. So, if we need a machine, we will immediately grind the rice, so the rice is fresh," he said.

Buwas said that the warehouse that was used as a food barn was being modernized. Not only that, Bulog has also built its infrastructure, including transportation.

"We have built everything in coordination with other parties, including from related ministries," he said.