TEMPO.CO, Karawang - President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo asserted that Indonesia would not need to import rice since the current stock would be sufficient until the end of this year.

Jokowi added that by the end of September 2015, local farmers had been able to meet demands of rice for a year.

“There have been no rice imports, despite pressures to import rice,” Jokowi said after harvesting a new rice variant at Cikarang, West Java, on Sunday, September 27, 2015.

Jokowi revealed that the country’s rice stock reached 1,7 million tons that would increase after being accumulated with the harvest in November.

“It’s safe. There will be additional 300,000 tons in November,” he said.

Jokowi explained that 220,000 tons of the rice stock would be allocated for rice-for-the-poor (raskin). The government is currently focusing on rice distribution in order to control the price. Jokowi added that there would be large-scale market operations this week.

Earlier, Jokowi harvested new rice variants, IPB3S and 4S, developed by the Bogor Institute of Agriculture. Jokowi was accompanied by First Lade Iriana Widodo, Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman, and Villages, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration Minister Marwan Jafar.

ANANDA TERESIA