Indonesia has experienced a significant increase in rice imports

From January to August of this year, Indonesia, the most populous nation in Southeast Asia with 270 million people, imported 1.59 million metric tonnes of rice. Compared to the 237,146 tonnes imported over the same period in 2022, this is a significant increase.

802,000 tonnes or more than half, of the rice exports came from Thailand. India came in second with 66,000 tonnes, followed by Pakistan with 45,000 tonnes, and Vietnam in third place with 674,000 tonnes.

In 2023, the Indonesian government ordered 2.3 million tonnes of rice to be imported by the state-owned food company Bulog. This action was taken in an effort to lessen the effects of the El Nio weather trend, which can result in dry weather.

Due to export limitations put in place by some nations, Indonesian President Joko Widodo highlighted the difficulties associated with obtaining rice from abroad. The cost of rice has been growing globally, making it more challenging to import the required amounts.

According to the Export Import Data, Indonesia would import 2.9 million tonnes of rice overall in 2023, including rice for use in hotels and restaurants. This demonstrates the nation's efforts to increase its rice reserves in light of supply issues.