Agriculture minister offers opportunities to invest in agribusiness

""Some countries like Malaysia, South Korea and Middle East countries are interested in investment in the sector," he said when explaining the result of the summit in Rome he and other Indonesian delegates had attended from June 3 to 5, 2008.According to him, Malaysia was...

Indonesia to boost soybean output to 900,000 tonnes

"Indonesia plans to boost domestic soybean output to 900,000 tonnes this year to reduce dependence on imports as soaring prices have hurt the local food industry, Agriculture Minister Anton Apriyantono said on Tuesday."We will distribute good-quality soybean seedlings for...

Indonesia upbeat on rice output despite floods

"Floods and landslides on Java island, which accounts for more than half of Indonesia's rice production, have killed more than 100 people and displaced 60,000 in the past two weeks.Floods have destroyed 43,000 hectares of rice fields across the country, but this represents...

Govt bodies agree to speed up food vulnerability

"Apriyantono said food vulnerability was closely related to poverty. The country`s poverty rate in 2005 was recorded at 16.69 percent and it increased to 17.75 percent due to the impact of the fuel price hike in 2006.However, the poverty rate in 2007 dropped to 16.58 percent...

Indonesia to face food crisis if farm land continues to shrink

"Indonesia will face a food crisis in 2017 or 20 years from now given the disparity between population growth and the rate at which the country`s farm land area is shrinking, Agriculture Minister Anton Apriyantono said here on Monday. Speaking on the sidelines of a workshop...

RI coffee exports to Italy declining: minister

"In response to the problem, plantations director general at the Agriculture Ministry, Ahmad Manggabarani, admitted Indonesia`s coffee exports to Italy had been declining, but not to other countries. "In general, coffee production increases but exports have been fluctuating,"...

President asks agriculture minister to diversify food

""The diversification is aimed at reducing Indonesia`s dependence on rice as a source of carbohydrate," the president said when awarding letters of appreciation for national food security to 156 people at the state palace here on Thursday. Noodle has successfully replaced...