Ombudsman: No Need to Import Rice Anytime Soon

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Ombudsman asked the government to postpone the imports of 1.5 million tons rice, saying there is still enough stock. Based on the data it compiled, the Ombudsman noted that the current total rice stock is still around 6 million tons.

"Rice stocks are still relatively safe and does not require imports in the near future," Ombudsman member Yeka Hendra Fatika said in an online press conference on Wednesday, March 24.

Indications that there is sufficient rice supply is represented by the volume of sock in the Greater Jakarta Area. The Ombudsman noted there are 3,300-3,500 tons of rice per day in the area, which means a surplus of 3,000 tons per day. Based on the numbers, the Ombudsman said, it shows that farmers are entering the great harvest season.

Sometime ago, the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs said that the government plans to import 1.5 million tons of rice. The plan is a scenario to calculate the adequacy of basic food needs, based on the volume of rice stocks in Bulog's warehouse.

However, Trade Minister Muhammad Lutfi stated that the government would not import rice if domestic farmers' stocks were enough to meet the national demand. 

Read: Rice Import; Ombudsman Spots Potential Maladministration

FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA