REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SEMARANG - The government should control food imports which tend to increase due to the growing middle-class population in Indonesia, a spokesman of Secretary General of Indonesian Prosperous Farmers and Fishermen Association (PPNSI) said.

The food import mostly goes to middle-and high-class population, Riyono, spokesman of PPNSI, says. Only small part of them is distributed among the poor through subsidized rice for the poor (raskin) program.

In the first semester of 2011 the value of food imports exceeds 45 trillion IDR as compared to less than 40 trillion IDR in the same period the year before.

Almost all types of farm commodities such as rice, red chili, onion, garlic, soybean, and cassava are imported while the commodities can be produced at home. He concerns on the government which maintains import policies without doing much or making breakthroughs to reduce the country`s dependence on imported foods.

"The government has placed food as optional rather than compulsory affairs as laid down in Government Regulation No. 38/2007. Article 1 point 4 of the government regulation stipulates that agriculture, fishery and forestry constitute optional and not compulsory affairs," he said.

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