President Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, has announced that Indonesia will import an additional 1.5 million tonnes of rice to prepare for a potentially poor harvest due to the El Niño weather phenomenon. This import is in addition to the 2 million tonnes of rice already designated by the government for procurement by the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) to bolster the government’s rice reserves earlier this year. Jokowi emphasized the urgency of this decision, stating, “[El Niño] is a concern. That’s why we’re adding 1.5 million tonnes to our reserves, as El Niño is anticipated to adversely affect rice production and subsequently impact the harvest.”
