TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman said the country`s imports of corn are expected to shrink 50 percent this year compared with last year.
"Corn imports would fall around 50 percent compared with last year," the minister said here on Tuesday without giving reason.
Amran called on consumers in the country to use more corn produced by farmers, otherwise the Board of Logistics (Bulog) will have to buy the farmers corn at a price of Rp2,700 per kilogram.
The minister said he had reached an agreement with poultry farmers to issue a ministerial regulation on poultry farming for which he had asked for inputs from farmers.
"We also discussed food stock with related associations," he said.
Meanwhile, Bulog said rice price was relatively stable ahead of the Islamic fasting month and the stability is expected to continue until Ied ul Fitr as harvest time and Ied Ul Fitr will come almost at the same time.
Any increase in price would not be too high , Bulog marketing chief Subali Agung Gunawan said.
Subali said it was not yet necessary for Bulog intervention in the market as the rice price is relatively stable.
With the distribution ricer for the poor the market is expected to remain stable, he said.
He said Bulog has a retail program such as "Bulog mart" with stores to function as branches of Bulog.
Earlier, the Indonesian association of farmers(HKTI) called on the government to cut imports of rice to boost the farmers to strengthen food security.
ANTARA
