Indonesia may have to import rice again this year if production is lower than projected, according to Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Bayu Krisnamurthi.
The current high rubber price will encourage farmers in Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries to boost rubber tapping in the second half of this year, which in turn may narrow the global natural-rubber shortage, according to the International Rubber Study Group (IRSG).
Rubber export volume from North Sumatra, one of Indonesia’s main rubber producing regions, in the first quarter of this year expanded by 15.04 percent compared to the same period of last year, said Edy Irwansyah, Secretary of the North Sumatra chapter of the Indonesian Rubber Producers Association (Gapkindo).
Palm oil prices will stay above 3,000 ringgit this year on strong demand from India and the Middle East, said CEO of Sime Darby Bhd., the world’s largest palm oil producer, M. Bakke Salleh on Thursday.
Tire sales in January-May 2011 increased slightly by 0.015 percent to 20.59 million units from 20.56 million units in the same period of last year, according to the Indonesian Tire Makers Association (APBI).