Global Rice News

Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas), Arief Prasetyo Adi, has announced that imports of rice and sugar from India to Indonesia have been hindered due to the country’s policy restrictions and local political issues. Adi explained that while basmati rice imports are still permitted, the delay in rice and sugar imports is a result of export restrictions imposed by the Indian government, along with other political matters. He added that India has its own strategy in the food sector, particularly as it approaches its political year in 2024.

Previously, an Indian diplomat had met with Indonesian Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan and promised to provide one million tons of rice for Indonesia. However, the following week, India issued a ban on the exports due to political reasons. Consequently, Indonesia was forced to seek rice from other countries to meet its demand. Adi stated that the country was able to fulfill its needs by importing rice from Vietnam, Thailand, Pakistan, and Cambodia. However, he did not disclose the exact quantity of rice imported from each country.

Adi emphasized that the origin of the rice is not as important as meeting the country’s quantity requirements. As a result, Indonesia’s imports no longer have to come solely from India, but can come from any country. He also acknowledged that importing rice is not an ideal situation, but it is necessary in order to maintain the availability of food supplies in the country.

To address the lack of national rice production caused by the El Nino phenomenon, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) assigned Bapanas and state-owned logistics company, PT Bulog, the task of seeking two million tons of rice. The mandate has been fulfilled through importing rice from Vietnam, Thailand, Pakistan, and Cambodia. This highlights the government’s commitment to prioritize domestic production, as stipulated by Law Number 18 of 2012 concerning Food.

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