Bapanas head, Arief Prasetyo Adi, stated on Tuesday that his agency is in constant coordination with the Trade Ministry to ensure an increased supply of garlic.
"All the documents have been prepared and the process is ongoing,” Adi said.
He said that Bapanas is actively communicating with the ministry to track the progress of garlic import permits.
Furthermore, Bapanas has conducted calculations on food stocks and demand to formulate an import policy that meets domestic needs, he added.
Adi informed that garlic is among the food commodities that require additional imports to meet domestic consumption requirements.
He pointed out that the price of garlic in Indonesia is influenced by global prices. Chinese garlic is currently priced at over $1,300 per ton in the international market.
However, the government is committed to ensuring a steady supply of garlic throughout the year, he stated.
“We also continue to monitor and calculate through the National Food Balance to maintain supply and stable prices, in line with the President's directive," he added.
According to the National Food Balance Prognosis for January to December 2023, the estimated national demand for garlic this year is 652 thousand tons, while domestic production is projected to be 18 thousand tons, with a carryover from 2022 of 143 thousand tons.
To strengthen the stocks, Bapanas plans to source garlic from international markets. By the end of 2023, it is expected that garlic stocks will reach 99 thousand tons.
Adi assured that priority will still be given to domestic garlic production over imports.
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Translator: Kuntum Khaira R, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Anton Santoso
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