Indonesia has negotiated to import 400,000-600,000 tonnes of rice from Vietnam with delivery in the third quarter of this year, said Indonesian mass media.
The media quoted Indonesian Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa on July 10 as saying that the country was ready to resume rice imports to ensure supplies during the Ramadhan, the Fasting Month for the Muslims, and deal with increasing inflation and escalating goods prices.
“The resumption of rice imports is necessary to ensure supplies and maintain stable prices,” he stressed.
At present, there are 1.6 million tonnes of rice in the stockpile of the Indonesian Bureau of Logistics (BULOG), he said.
The Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture forecast that rice prices in the country will increase by 5-10 percent in July and August this year./.