Reject Rice Imports, Union Farmers Ask The Work Of Bulog And The National Food Agency

Illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Indonesian Farmers' Union (SPI) Henry Saragih rejected the rice import plan.

The reason is because it is not in accordance with Law (UU) Number 18 of 2012 concerning Food.

This statement was in response to news of 500.000 tons of rice imports by Perum Bulog.

Henry said, according to the law, rice imports are not allowed as long as domestic food production is still sufficient.

Previously, the Ministry of Agriculture had conveyed sufficient stock.

"According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the production is sufficient, until the end of 2022. So yes, we cannot import rice. The problem now, according to Bulog, rice reserves in Bulog do not meet the government's benchmark, namely 1.2 million tons. Bulog has not fulfilled it. This is a mistake. Bulog must rely on rice in the midst of society," Henry said in an official statement, quoted Wednesday, November 23.

In contrast to Bulog's claim to the Ministry of Agriculture, previously Bulog felt that domestic rice reserves did not meet the government's target of 1.2 million tons.

In fact, Henry said, the rice calculated is food reserves in the central government.

"It has not been calculated how there are food reserves in local governments, be it provinces, regencies and cities. How much rice is actually stored in local governments, to be precise," he said.

Henry assessed that Bulog's calculations were not in accordance with the conditions in the field. The reason is, the calculation has not included food reserves in the midst of society.

According to Henry, the rice problem is getting more chaotic because the performance of the National Food Agency (Bapanas) has not been maximized.

In fact, he said, Bapanas is the authority body in terms of food reserves.

If in accordance with its mandate, Bapanas must determine the policy of a lack of food, imports or not, not Bulog.

"So Bapanas has not carried out his authority, this is his weakness so that it is still a congestion, an import polemic or not importing, unfortunately, there is Badanas already. ideally to overcome problems like this," he complained.

"Farmers have worked hard to produce. Bulog and Bapanas have not worked optimally, when the harvest season increases their warehouses, not during the middle harvest or small harvest like now," he concluded.