Amid growing concerns over food shortages as the world suffers from the heat wave caused by El Nino, Indonesia, the world’s fourth-largest population, is also suffering from a rice shortage.
According to the Jakarta Post on the 28th (local time), Indonesia’s National Food Agency (NFA) said that the current rice reserve is only 750,000 tons and has fallen below the safety standard of 1.2 million tons.
The lack of rice is due to the decrease in rice production due to El Nino. According to the Meteorological and Climate Geological Administration (BMKG), Indonesia is currently having the most severe dry season since 2019.
In particular, as the dry season peaks in August and September, it is expected that there will be many days when monthly precipitation will be less than 200mm. To produce rice, the minimum monthly precipitation must reach 200mm.
Indonesian Seed Bank and Technology Association President Dwy Andreas Santos warned that rice production this year could fall 5 percent from its original target unless special measures are taken to supply water.
Meanwhile, the fact that some farmers switch to other crops such as corn and cabbage, which need relatively less water instead of rice, in preparation for the dry season also accelerates the rice shortage.
Yadi Sofian Noor, chairman of the Indonesian Agricultural and Fishery Association (KTNA), said, “Corn grows well even with 85 millimeters of rainfall per month,” adding, “Even farmers in Subang, one of Indonesia’s largest rice-producing regions, are turning their crops into corn instead of rice.”
In addition, food prices are soaring along with disruptions in rice production as Russia’s declaration to destroy the Black Sea Grain Agreement has also caused problems in supply and demand of grains and fertilizers.
As rice becomes scarce, the Indonesian government has decided to import 2 million tons of rice this year. Indonesia dreams of self-sufficiency in rice in line with its wide land and tropical monsoon climate, but rice is often imported due to uneven rice production due to lack of agricultural water and fertilizer.
In particular, it has decided to import 1 million tons of rice from India this year in preparation for the dry season to be more severe than usual and the price of rice to rise.
The problem is next year. The Indonesian government is expected to lack rice next year due to the severe dry season under the influence of El Nino as it did this year.
However, India, the world’s largest rice exporter, has recently decided to restrict exports of white rice, and Vietnam has also decided to gradually reduce its rice exports from 7.1 million tons this year to 4 million tons by 2030.
In response, Sutarto Alimoso, chairman of the Indonesian Grain Association, advised that we should turn to other rice exporters such as Thailand and Pakistan.
