Indonesia to import 1.6 mln tons of rice due to delayed harvest

JAKARTA: Indonesia has decided to import 1.6 million tonnes of rice to meet domestic needs due to the delayed harvest season by two months, said Coordinating Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto.

"The harvest season should have been in March-April, but now it's pushed back to April, May, and June, resulting in reduced production, prompting the government to decide on imports," said Airlangga, as quoted by Antara news agency.

He also said the government will boost the distribution of rice supply from 150,000 tonnes to 250,000 tonnes to meet the people's needs.

Airlangga stressed that these measures are crucial because of ongoing global economic challenges, which are likely to affect world food prices.

Rice prices are increasing nationwide, with medium-grade rice at 16,000 rupiah (RM4.89) per kg and premium-grade rice at 17,000 rupiah per kg in Magelang, Central Java, with the prices expected to stay high until March.

Last year, Indonesia experienced a 2.05 per cent drop in production in its main production regions, down to 30.90 million tonnes from 31.54 million tonnes in 2022, amid severe drought caused by the El Nino.

-- BERNAMA