Trading Strategy Is Needed

Kompas/Priyombodo

Activists check rice imported from Vietnam with State Logistics Agency (Bulog) labels on it from Singapore Bulker ship at Tanjung Priok Port in North Jakarta on Wednesday (14/2/2018). The imported rice is brought to the Bulog Jakarta-Banten Storehouse in Kelapa Gading. As much as 281,000 tons of imported rice has arrived at some ports across the country.

The government has decided to import rice, sugar, salt, beef and even buffalo, although it has repeatedly said that it wants to achieve self-sufficiency.

The reason to import rice is part of the government efforts to maintain the country’s rice reserves both held by the government and the State Logistics Agency (Bulog), while the plan to import sugar is part of a trade barter agreement in Indonesia’s palm oil exports to India. Salt is imported to cope with a production shortage of industrial salt.