GOVT PROJECTS UNHUSKED RICE PRODUCTION AT 66 MILLION TONS

Padang, Jan 24 (ANTARA) - Agriculture Minister Suswono has projected Indonesia's unhusked rice production in 2010 at 66 million tons, while the country had unhusked rice production surplus in the last two consecutive years.

"The target could hopefully be achieved in 2010 considering Indonesian success in 2009, a 3 million tons of rice surplus," the minister said in Padang, Sunday.

According to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the national paddy production reached 63.83 million tons of dried husked rice or up 5.83 percent in 2008.

If converted, the amount is equivalent to 34-35 million tons of rice, and it means Indonesia's surplus reached more than 3 million tons.

The minister mentioned that the targets will also be set on the basis of each country's readiness (according to the Rome Food Summit agreement) to strengthen their food security.

Moreover, entering the final period of 2009 and early stages of 2010, Indonesian food supply is secure.

The minister mentioned that the indicators usually shown at the critical period of December-January with a supply of only 2,000 tons of rice per day at the Cipinang main market, Jakarta.

This year averaged more than 3,000 tons per day. Even in the beginning of the second week of the survey in January 2010, the supply of rice at the Cipinang Main Market reached 3600 tons per day, the minister said.


No fertilizer price increases
Minister Suswono assured that the fertilizer prices will not be raised, at least until the end of March 2010, while the fertilizer stocks for the 2009/2010 planting season are secure.

"The government has provided some 11 million tons of fertilizer for 2010 and plenty of fertilizer to farmers. If there is a scarcity, it means that something is wrong in the field while the minister's regulation about the allocation of subsidized fertilizer was published in late November 2009," he said.