INDONESIA SETS ASIDE LAND FOR RICE

Indonesia revealed plans on to set aside 10,000 square km for rice to boost output of the grain as countries around the region struggled to stock up on the food staple on fears of a global supply squeeze. Indonesian Agriculture Minister Anton Apriyantono said the government would conduct a feasibility study for the programme, which could help soothe worries about rice supplies in countries such as Malaysia and the Philippines. “We plan to have 1 million hectares (10,000 sq km) to be given for rice estates to cater for rice demand in Muslim countries,” Apriyantono said. “We have land, water and farmers in Indonesia but we need investors. I hope this programme will help all the Muslim countries, especially Malaysia.” Rice production in Indonesia this year is forecast at around 75 million tonnes, the Minister said. He also said that though there was no formal cooperation with Malaysia, Indonesia was prepared to provide technical assistance on rice production if needed. The Southeast Asian archipelago has been struggling to increase rice production, the main staple for its population of 226 million people, as it lacks good quality seeds, and faces intense competition for land and a shortage of fertiliser.