DUMAI: Some 50 thousand tons of imported rice from Vietnam and Thailand will enter Indonesia through the port of Dumai in Riau Province, a regional chief of the state logistics board said.
Head of Dumai Office of the State Logistics Board (Bulog) Titov Agus Sabelia said that Bulog will soon receive 20 thousand tons of imported rice. “Some 50 thousand tons of imported rice will enter the Dumai port in March 2016. In first phase, 20 thousand tons will arrive,” said Agus on Friday.
He added that the government decided to import rice to reinforce the government rice stock and prepare it for price control, if there price instability occurs.
It was reported earlier that rice imported by the Indonesian government has started arriving at some seaports across the country, in a bid to increase the national food stock as the El Nino-induced drought has affected several regions.
“Already, (imported rice shipments have entered) not only Jakarta, but also several seaports,” Vice President Jusuf M. Kalla stated Wednesday. The rice imports are necessary as drought has delayed paddy harvests in some regions, he noted.
“The most important aspect is that the government has provided adequate (rice) stocks nationally, including from imports. It is alright,” he added. The drought from August to November 2015 has triggered harvest failures and reduced rice stocks.
“This decision has been taken for the sake of the people and not to protect a particular individuals image, no. It is to prevent rice prices from increasing,” Kalla explained. On Nov. 4, some 4.8 thousand tons of rice imported from Vietnam arrived in Manado, North Sulawesi Province.
