Wow, Indonesia Has The Potential For A Rice Deficit For 9 Months This Year

JAKARTA - The National Food Agency (Bapanas) or the National Food Agency (NFA) estimates that Indonesia will experience a rice deficit for nine months this year.

Director of Food Supply Stabilization and Price of Bapanas Maino Dwi Hartono said the national rice demand is estimated to exceed the amount of rice available domestically this year.

"The prognosis and estimates of our rice production and availability are indeed almost 9 months of deficit, temporary data. This means that the data is moving at any time, month, according to BPS updated data," he said in a virtual discussion, Friday, March 3.

Referring to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) processed by Badanas, the potential for this rice deficit occurred in January, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December 2023. Meanwhile, February to April Indonesia will experience a surplus, namely during the harvest season.

Maino said the temporary prediction of total rice production in 2023 was around 55 million tons. In January 2023, there was a deficit of 815,775 tons. However, in February there was a surplus of 1,04 million tons. Then March, as many as 3.28 million tons and April as much as 1,52 million tons.

In May 2023, Indonesia is projected to experience a rice deficit of 383,936 tons, and June 182,039 tons. Then, July 76,527 tons. Meanwhile, August 413,976 tons, September 188,99 tons, October 343,703 tons, November 728,245 tons and December 1,29 million tons.

Furthermore, Maino explained that the projected rice deficit is an estimated monthly consumption of 2.6 million tons nationally. Household consumption is 1.8 to 1.9 million tons, while the rest are consusmis outside households such as hotels and others.

Maino said that with the many months of this year's rice deficit, Badanas has challenges in maintaining rice price stability.

"There are many months that have a deficit and of course this is our concern, the government, and all stakeholders of how the government and stakeholders maintain rice prices in particular," he said.

According to Maino, this condition greatly affects rice prices. Moreover, the current price of rice is still relatively high.

"The experience in 2022 is an anticipation for efforts to stabilize rice prices. We will evaluate it every month," he said.