The Government Needs To Be Aware Of The Potential Of A Food Crisis Due To The Change Of Consumption Patterns Due To The Impact Of The Ukrainian Turmoil

Photo: Doc. Food Station Tjipinang Jaya

JAKARTA - The turbulent relations between Russia and Ukraine have an impact on the threat of a food crisis in the world. One area that has experienced a significant impact is the African region, given the dependence of African countries on Ukraine as a food supplier in their country.

The threat of a food crisis was discussed at the Third Meeting of the Finance Minister and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) in Bali. During the meeting, Minister Sri Mulyani also discussed the food crisis when she met Chancellor Zahawi. He assessed that there needs to be a real solution for all levels of society and business people who are currently threatened by the impact of high inflation, rising food and energy prices.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said the war between Russia and Ukraine also contributed to triggering a food supply crisis, so the prices of soft commodities (wheat, CPO, coffee, cheese, soybeans, cocoa and milk) could potentially increase.

In Indonesia, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) released data that the production of Milled Dry Rice (GKG) in 2021 decreased by around 0.45 percent when converted to rice from 31.5 million tons to 31.3 million tons. Meanwhile, the population will increase by a ratio of 1.25 percent (2020), 1.22 percent (2021) and 1.17 percent in 2022.

Data from the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) explains that wheat prices throughout May 2022 have increased by 5.6 percent. Not to mention the policy of banning the export of food raw materials by several countries, such as India, is the cause of rising food prices.

In the Bimtek and Propaktani Socialization of the Director General of Food Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Monday, July 18, Professor of the Faculty of Economics and Management, IPB Prof. Dr. Ir. Rachmat Pambudy, MS said that currently there is an increase in rice consumption per capita per year from 98 kg/year to more than 100 kg per year. Therefore, it is necessary to study further about this increase in consumption.

At the same event, President Director of PT Food Station Tjipinang Jaya Pamrihadi Wiraryo said that one of the impacts of the turmoil in Ukraine that Indonesia needs to anticipate is a shift in consumption from bread or noodles to rice (rice) so that it is estimated that demand for rice will increase and the price of grain and rice has the potential to rise.

"The occurrence of wheat scarcity in Europe can result in a shift in consumption of staple foods to rice. So that the demand for rice from rice-producing countries will increase," he said in a Webinar discussion on the topic of Efforts to achieve sustainable rice availability through national rice actors, Monday, July 18.

Pamrihadi explained, Food Station as DKI Jakarta BUMD is committed and continues to strive to innovate in food security towards food sovereignty through an intensification program by cultivating using technology that can increase crop productivity, namely compost and litter and ExtraGen liquid organic fertilizer technology.

According to him, cultivation with this method can reduce the use of chemical fertilizers, and at the same time it can increase agricultural productivity by a ratio of 20-25 percent per hectare.

In addition, until now, we have collaborated on contract farming and cultivation with many Gapoktan and cooperatives in several cities and regencies with a land area of 8180 hectares. As for the area of the cooperation area, it is projected that Food Station will absorb 46,626 tons of GKP.

"This is a corporate action that we take to maintain food security in DKI Jakarta as well as to anticipate the surge in rice demand caused by shifting consumption patterns," he explained.