"Thailand will remain exporting 300,000 tons of rice to Indonesia this year," Gita said, adding that the agreement of Thailand and Vietnam to export rice to Indonesia was stipulated in a memorandum of understanding (MoU) as part of a bilateral meeting during the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit.
Gita explained that although Thailand was hit by devastating flood recently, the country would supply rice to Indonesia, and committed to supplying 1 million tons of rice per year from 2012 to 2016.
While Vietnam only to amend the memorandum of understanding about export quota of 2010-2012 period from 1 million tons to 1.5 million tons per year.
Meanwhile, Deputy Trade Minister Bayu Krisnamurti said Indonesia was also exploring a possibility to import rice from Myanmar and Cambodia to meet its domestic need.
"We open up communication with and approach to Myanmar and Cambodia, and Myanmar said its rice production was improving," Bay said.
But he failed to mention the amount of rice Indonesia could import from the two countries.
Therefore he said the government has tasked the state logistics agency (Bulog) to make direct approach to Thailand and Cambodia.
"We will also expand the possibility of rice import from Central Asian countries such as India and Bangladesh," Bayu added.(*)
Editor: Ruslan Burhani
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
