JAKARTA, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian government plans to import 1 million tons of rice from India before the end of this year to secure domestic needs, a minister said on Wednesday.
"We have requested around 1 million tons from India. The business-to-business process has been completed, and now we are expediting the government-to-government process to accelerate the import," local media cited Trade Minister Budi Santoso as reporting.
He explained that the planned rice import is part of an increased quota of 3.6 million tons for 2024, a rise of 1.6 million tons compared to the previous target.
Santoso noted that discussions to expedite the process were held between Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G20 Summit in Brazil.
"We are also considering rice imports from other countries. They could become suppliers if they offer competitive prices," he added. ■
