National Rice Stock Reaches 1.1 Million Tons
“Up to June 1, 2007, the domestic rice stock has reached 1,106,354 tons, while the target up to May 2007 was 900,000 tons,” Director of Bulog public company Mustafa Abubakar said here on Friday (15/06).
The stock consisted of 223,746.86 tons of unhusked rice, and 964,275.19 tons of rice, procured among other things through cooperatives as well as non-cooperative units.
Abubakar said that Bulog has set a target of the national rice stock amounting to 1.54 million tons by the end of 2007. If possible, this year?s national rice stock should reach two million tons, he said.
According to him, in line with the existing law, the government was required to procure 2.2 million tons of rice. Of the total amount, some 1.9 million tons would be intended for the poor, and 0.35 million tons for the government?s rice reserve.
Concerning rice import, Mustafa Abubakar said that Bulog and the Coordinating Ministry for the Economic Affairs would make an evaluation on rice import this month.
“We will evaluate to see the prospect of 4 to 5 months to come, whether we need to import rice or not,” he said.
On the government?s previous decision to import 1,117,097 tons of rice,some 674,370 tons of imported rice have arrived in the country, 7,600 tons were being shipped,5,800 tons were being loaded and 95,850 tons were still queuing for loading.
Meanwhile, Vice President M Jusuf Kalla recently said that importing rice was something normal and even a must when domestic rice production falls short of need.
“Our reference in deciding to import rice are two factors, namely when the domestic rice stock is below one million tons, and when the rice price in the markets rises above Rp3,500 per kilogram,” Vice President M Jusuf Kalla said when speaking at a gathering celebrating the 40th anniversary of Bulog last May. (ant)
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