No Medium Variety Rice to be Exported
Thursday, 17 April, 2008 | 16:46 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The Agriculture Department will not issue any recommendations for exporting medium variety rice this year.

Agriculture minister, Anton Apriyantono, said that the rice supply was only enough for domestic needs and not for exporting.

“No medium variety rice to be exported this year,” he told Tempo yesterday (16/4).

The minister explained that government was focusing on domestic needs and national supply.

No export recommendations will be issued even though there will be a rice supply surplus.

Anton suggested that regional governments keep their surplus in rice barns instead of selling overseas.

This would be helpful in terms of anticipating the dry season this coming September and October.

The trade minister regulation No. 12/M-DAG/PER/4/2008 dated 11 April 2008 about rice importing and exporting does not mean that the export door has been opened.

Anton explained that this regulation will control rice exports.

“Medium variety rice is the one rice type that can be exported but only by the State Logistics Agency (Bulog),” he said.

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