Rice imports to strengthen national reserves in 2024: Jokowi

Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) stated that rice imports of three million tons from India and Thailand will strengthen the national food reserves in 2024 amid the effect of Super El Nino.

“I am a little worried about food commodities because during yesterday’s Super El Nino, our production fell slightly. In 2024, it is estimated that it will not return to normal,” he remarked at Indonesia’s Economic Outlook event here on Friday.

According to Jokowi, uncertain global political conditions and extreme weather had influenced 22 countries to stop food exports to various countries.

Hence, to this end, Jokowi drew attention to the issue of Indonesia having faced difficulty in finding additional rice for its reserves in 2023.

Responding to this situation, the president made the most of his visit to several international events to lobby countries to export rice to Indonesia.

“For 2024, Alhamdulillah (thank God), chief of Bulog (State Logistics Agency) has just returned from India. He conveyed to me that he had signed (an agreement to import) one million tons,” he stated.

At the Commemorative Summit of the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation in Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday (December 17), President Jokowi lobbied Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin to export two million tons of rice to Indonesia.

“He joined his team in Thailand in the noon, then told me in the afternoon that President Jokowi, two million tons, Thailand is ready to send it to Indonesia,” Jokowi remarked.

With the rice import agreements between Indonesia and the two countries, President Jokowi assessed that Indonesia has gained a sense of security in food-related matters in 2024.

“To secure strategic reserves for food security, we have to do it (import), meaning we have got one million tons from India, two million tons from Thailand. At least, we can feel secure in terms of food,” he remarked.