Sukabumi (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said he expected Indonesia to become self-sufficient in rice and corn this year.
"If nothing intervenes, we are going to be self-sufficient in rice and corn this year," Yudhoyono said when attending a Bernas hybrid rice grand harvest at Jerung Nyelap hamlet in Situmekar village, Sukabumi district, on Wednesday.
The head of state said in its efforts to make the country self-sufficient in food, the government was continuing to provide farmers with sufficient land for rice planting, watering facilities, high-yield variety seeds, subsidized fertilizer, and agricultural extension.
"To prevent national development activities from using up all available land, the government is also building agricultural infrastructure facilities, including irrigation works," the president said.
The head of state said domestic rice production had increased dramatically in the past four years , namely from 51 million tons of unhulled rice in 2005 to 54 million tons in 2006, 57 million tons in 2007, and a target of 60 million tons for this year.
"If the target of 60 million tons of unhulled rice is reached this year, it will be a new rice production record in the history of Indonesian agriculture," he said.
Yudhoyono said the government had a high commitment to striving to achieve self-sufficiency in food, rice in particular.
"The global food situation is not safe enough so we should be able to meet our own food needs and if we have more than we need, we can help neighboring countries," Yudhoyono said.
He added that if Indonesia imported rice, it would lose foreign exchange.
"The uncertain world food situation has caused food prices to soar, and if we do not import rice trade will be more lively," the president said.
He said government subsidies in the agricultural sector had also continued to rise from year to year, namely from Rp9 trillion in 2005 to Rp29 trillion in 2008, with the figure for 2009 predicted to rise by Rp33 trillion.
Fertilizer subsidy alone rose from Rp2.5 trillion in 2005 to Rp3 trillion in 2006, Rp15 trillion in 2008, and was expected to total Rp17 trillion in 2008.
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