Indonesia's ambition to become a rice exporter was put on hold Friday when President Susilo BambangYudhoyono asserted he would not allow the export this year despite sufficient stocks at home.
"Last year we managed to boost rice production by 2 million tons and stocks seem to be secure this year. But I still cannot allow the export," the president said at the Merdeka Palace here.
The government will focus on efforts to cope with the surging global food prices which threaten to push millions of people in many countries deeper into poverty.
"There are already tough measures to boost production of agricultural commodities to secure food supplies in future times," the president said.
Earlier this week, Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu issued a regulation that allows state logistics agency Bulog to sell rice to the export markets, sparking protests among lawmakers and the media who reminded that Indonesia has yet to become self-sufficient in rice.
The country last year imported 1.5 million tons of rice.
But the Central Statistics Agency has projected rice production would reach 32.6 million tons this year, above the estimated national rice consumption of 31.5 million tons.
Source: Xinhua
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