Production would rise because of the expansion of harvest areas by 313,150 hectares (2.36 percent) and a hike in productivity by 0.2 quintal per hectare (0.04 percent).
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia`s rice production is estimated to rise by 2.4 percent this year, according to the National Statistics Agency (BPS).

"There will be an increase of 2.4 percent," the agency`s chief, Rusman Heriawan, said here on Friday.

So, rice production is estimated to reach 68.06 million tons of dried unhulled rice this year up 1.59 tons from 2010, he said.

He said production would rise because of the expansion of harvest areas by 313,150 hectares (2.36 percent) and a hike in productivity by 0.2 quintal per hectare (0.04 percent).

Rusman said the figures were taken from forecast of production from January to April 2011 and estimates for May to December 2011 made based on conditions of rice field areas until the end of April.

On corn and soybean Rusman said the production of the two commodities was expected to drop compared to that of 2010.

Corn production in 2011 is estimated to reach 17.39 million tons down 5.10 percent from last year`s.

Soybean production in 2011 meanwhile is estimated to reach 819,450 tons down 9.66 percent from last year`s.

The director general of food crops of the ministry of agriculture, Udhoro Kasih Anggoro, admitted the BPS`s upward prediction by 2.4 percent did not match with his target of hike set at 5.2 percent.

"We can expect a lot of opportunities (to increase production)," he said.

Udhoro said the opportunities include among others prediction of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency that the climate would return to normal in July to September 2011.

He said production could also increase due to support from the Corporate-base Movement for Increasing Food Production program of state-owned companies.

"If the program is successful it will add 3.7 million tons of dried unhulled rice," he said.

The BPS also states that the national farmer exchange value (NTP) in June 2011 was recorded at 104.79 up 0.28 percent from the previous NTP.

The hike in NTP is due to the rise of NTP in the food subsector, smallholders` plantations and fisheries respectively at 0.74 percent, 0.18 percent and 0.17 percent.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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