Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — With domestic rice stocks reaching surplus levels, Deputy Agriculture Minister Sudaryono said Indonesia is preparing to exports approximately 2,000 tons of rice per month to Malaysia.
The announcement follows a recent meeting between Indonesian Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman and Malaysia’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Datuk Seri Haji Mohamad Bin Sabu. During the bilateral talks, Malaysia expressed interest in importing rice from Indonesia.
Deputy Minister Sudaryono said that Indonesia had already discussed the matter with Malaysia. “We’ve had discussions with our Malaysian counterparts and have met with potential importers ready to carry out the exports,” Sudaryono told reporters in Karawang, West Java, on May 15.
Sudaryono states, the planned exports are in line with President Prabowo’s directives. “We are currently working out the logistics. Once the President gives the green light, we’re ready to go,” he said.
“The initial estimate discussed was around 2,000 tons per month, considering Malaysia also sources rice from several other countries.”
He noted that many countries rely on rice imports to meet their food needs and said Indonesia is prepared to expand exports beyond Malaysia to other nations as well.
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Shipments for Humanitarian Missions
In addition to export plans, Sudaryono said the Indonesian government is exploring how its rice surplus can support international humanitarian missions, including in Palestine.
“One of the schemes we are evaluating is how Indonesia can contribute to humanitarian efforts in regions like Africa and Palestine using our rice surplus,” he said.
The government is currently calculating how much of its rice reserve can be allocated for such missions. “This abundant harvest is a blessing from God,” Sudaryono added. “It’s something to be proud of, and now it’s about managing it properly.”
Indonesia’s government rice reserves (CBP) currently stand at 3.7 million tons, placing the country among the leading rice producers in Southeast Asia.
(Raidi/Agung)
