Jakarta –
Some time ago the government finally signed a contract to import rice from Vietnam to Thailand after 3 years of import fasting. This is done to satisfy government rice reserves (CBP).
However, Commerce Minister Zulkifli Hasan opposed the rice import policy. This is because the agriculture minister said Indonesia has a rice surplus.
“I don’t agree with rice imports because the Minister of Agriculture said we had a surplus, 7 million, although in my heart I don’t believe it. Since the BPS data is 7 million, I reject it (rice imports I didn’t agree at first, but Bulog said we only had a little rice left. 500,000 tons. Usually at least 1.2 million tons,” said the man who is familiarly called Zulhas in the national webinar ICMI TALK “Controversy on rice imports at the end of the year”, Tuesday (27/12/2022).
He also expressed his concern over Indonesia’s rice production, which is said to be a surplus.
“The Minister of Agriculture said a surplus of 7 million, I believe it, but my heart says otherwise, where does the surplus come from? wong Agriculture is about productivity. Production will be productive if fertilizer is complete, sufficient if medicines are available, if irrigation is good. This fertilizer is missing all the time, the irrigation has never been as good as that of Pak Harto, there has never been. The market prices of drugs are out of control,” she said.
“There is no fertilizer at planting time, then when there is new crop again, so I really don’t think there is a stock of 7 million. So land is added less, not more. So, if rice production continues to increase, where does it come from, basically,” he continued.
He also briefly explained that the government keeps trying to find rice stocks so as not to import rice.
“We look for rice, we don’t buy 10,000. We buy unhusked rice, no one has harvested yet. Up to the fourth month, the rice is still growing. confident The market was disrupted, eventually rice research was not available, Bulog’s stock was only 300,000, and finally it was decided to import rice,” he said.
According to him, in rice production, Indonesian farmers have two problems, namely productivity and market. To increase productivity, farmers still need seeds, fertilizers, irrigation systems, medicines and adequate land. From the point of view of the market, they still have problems with the low selling price. He added, so that farmers aren’t confused from a marketing perspective, the government should buy farmers’ crops, such as rice, corn and soybeans.
“The important thing is that farmers are working, being productive, producing a lot. Bought to order at a price of profit, not a price of loss,” he said.
See also the video “Prabowo Showcases Processed Cassava at the World Food Security Forum”:
(eds/eds)
