TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo talked about rice import during a dialogue with farmers in his working visit to Wanasari Village, Indramayu, West Java, today.

“The government is actually not pleased, we are not in favor of rice imports. But we lack [rice supply] because many [farms] have been affected by flooding and pandemic, so we need additional reserves,” he said as broadcasted on the YouTube channel of the Presidential Secretariat on Wednesday, April 21, 2021.

However, the government decided not to import rice at least until June 2021. “Inshallah until the end of the year, if we can keep the production well, we will not also carry out imports,” he added.

The state head expressed happiness that the rice crop in Wanasari Village reached 8 tons per hectare. The price of unhusked rice (gabah) has also risen to Rp4,200 per kilogram.

“We have still received complaints from farmers, for example, farmers find difficulties obtaining subsidized fertilizers and seeking labor for harvesting. They also ask for tractors and pumps that I have already said yes. They will be delivered soon,” he said.

Jokowi hoped that the country’s agricultural production would improve to achieve food security and self-sufficiency so that Indonesia would no longer import but export rice.

Read: Jokowi: Covid-19 Handling Is Key to Positive Economic Growth

DEWI NURITA