JAKARTA - Indonesian Vice President Maruf Amin said the decision to import rice through the Logistics Affairs Agency (Bulog) was to anticipate a shortage of national rice stocks.
"Yes, the government has anticipated various efforts, especially the rice problem. If it is not enough, import it. However, if it is enough, it will not be imported. So, it is in nature if there is a shortage," said the Vice President in Jakarta, Monday, December 5.
The vice president said that so far the government has continued to encourage intensification of food crops.
For example, when going to South Sulawesi, the Vice President received a report that the local government had intensified various matters related to rice, both from seeds and land management, and succeeded in increasing production by 250,000 tons this year.
"So, these are in other areas and maybe also those that are not successful. According to reports, it is estimated that they are fulfilled, but indeed there may be flooded harvests in some areas," said Maruf Amin as quoted by Antara.
Therefore, said the Vice President, the Government continues to calculate the adequacy of the national rice stock and rice imports are only anticipatory.
It was previously reported that the President Director of Perum Bulog Budi Waseso was assigned to import rice by the state to secure rice stocks which are currently at 594,000 tons.
"This has been a decision by the Coordination Meeting, and the decision of the coordination meeting is that all relevant ministers have made decisions. Bulog only carried out from orders, assignments," said Budi Waseso some time ago.
Budi Waseso or who is familiarly called Buwas said that in the coordination meeting Bulog was assigned to secure rice stocks for the needs of the Supply Availability and Price Stabilization (KPSH) program or market operations for price intervention, as well as for the needs of extraordinary events such as disaster management or social assistance.
Buwas said the decision in the coordination meeting mandated that Bulog absorb 500,000 tons of domestic rice stock prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture, and 500,000 tons of procurement from abroad.
However, domestic rice procurement cannot be done because of the unavailability of rice to be purchased by Bulog. Currently, Bulog has only secured 500,000 tons of commercial rice from abroad which can be imported to Indonesia at any time.
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