REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, MEDAN -- Indonesia plans to export rice, after national production reached 79.17 million tons in 2016, which is above the target set at 72 million tons. "We already have a rice surplus and so we plan to export it. We are still studying it, and destination countries are already available for export. We will inform about it later," agriculture minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said here on Thursday.

He said Indonesia has already exported organic rice to five countries, including Belgium. "So, there will be exports of common rice. We have to just wait," he added

He noted that Indonesia actually gained Rp10 trillion in 2016 by not importing rice during the period. He stated that with national production increasing to 79.17 million tons and selling price of unhulled rice at around Rp4 thousand per kilogram, farmers' income could rise to Rp51.36 trillion.

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