Government Expedites Rice Production
Tuesday, 09 January, 2007 | 14:15 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The government targets the increase of rice production of 2 million tons as the minimum this year, from 34 million tons in 2006 to 36 million tons (equal to 58.1 million tons of ground unhusked rice)

According to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the production increase is important because in the last few years, rice demand exceeded the availability. This rice production increase is a part of the government’s program to improve food endurance. “We want to be independent and self-supporting so that we don’t have to import (rice) any more,” said Yudhoyono during a press conference after leading the rice coordination meeting in Jakarta yesterday (9/1).

Domestic rice availability so far is not good because the public’s consumption continues increasing. Indonesia’s growth rate of 1.3 percent per year is in fact high compared to rice production growth of 1 percent per year. Due to the procurement shortage, the government imports 500,000 tons of rice at the beginning of this year.

The President explained that the increase of rice production on 11.86 million hectares of fields will be carried out by agriculture intensification such as using fertilizer and superior seeds.

According to Agriculture Minister Anton Apriyanto, the decrease of field and water availability are the impediments of an increase in agriculture production, including rice. farming. The field conversion rate was between 30,000 and 40,000 hectares per year so it is estimated that the decrease in rice fields from 2007 to 2009 will be 3.09 million hectares.

To overcome this, the Agriculture Department will carry out efforts to make new 20.000 hectare rice fields. “We will also try to develop 250,000 hectares of irrigation network,” said Anton.

The President also said the rice production increase will be followed by the agricultural budget hike of around 30 percent. The government will raise the Agriculture Department’s budget in 2007 to Rp8.7 trillion from Rp6.2 trillion in 2006.

OKTAMANDJAYA WIGUNA | EWO RASWA