It was earlier reported that rice production in the first harvest season in a number of provinces in Sumatra, Java and South Sulawesi was predicted to drop by 30 percent.Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Agriculture Ministry said it was sure rice production in a number of regions would not drop by as much as 30 percent as a result of climate anomalies.
The ministry`s secretary general Hari Priyono said in Bogor, West Java, on Wednesday the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) in its forecast I (Arm I) on Tuesday predicted that the country`s rice production this year would increase by 1.35 percent from that in 2010.
"So, with the Arm I prediction made by the BPS it is clear that there will be no decline by up to 30 percent in the country`s rice production," Hari said.
It was earlier reported that rice production in the first harvest season in a number of provinces in Sumatra, Java and South Sulawesi was predicted to drop by 30 percent.
Uncertain weather conditions would cause the emergence of different pests which would cut rice production.
He said that the Arm I of the BPS showed that the country`s rice production this year would total 67.31 million tons of unhusked dry rice or equal to 37.8 million tons of hulled rice.
The rice production based on the Arm I increases by 1.35 percent from that in 2010 which based on temporary calculations stood at 66.41 million tons of unhulled dry rice.
"This is still based on the Arm I prediction. There will still be planting seasons during the dry season I and dry season II and during the rainy season," he said.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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