REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Darmin Nasution has ordered the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) to update its basic statistical data on food crops. He noticed that statistical data on the red chili and onion plants was last issued in 2017.
He also looked at the data on corn, cassava and rice plants, which was last published in 2015.
"It seems that BPS had not continued the publication of food and staple food data since 2015," he said at the BPS building here on Wednesday to attend the commemoration of Statistics Day.
According to the BPS official website, the agency published data over the harvested area, production and productivity of several food crops during the 1993-2015 period. The data showed the national rice production reached 75.39 million tons in 2015 compared to 70.84 million tons the previous year.
The national corn production also increased to 19.61 million tons in 2015 from 19 million tons in the previous year.
"Hopefully, some of the data will be updated and published in the near future. By doing so, any of us will be responsible for publishing the data although we are not directly involved in the issue," he said.
Earlier, President Director of State-Owned Logistics Agency (Bulog) Budi Waseso "Buwas" denied the allegation that the domestic rice absorption by Bulog was only around 800 thousand tons. He explained that Bulog has so far absorbed 1.4 million tons of domestic rice, or 52.2 percent of the target of 2.72 million tons until the end of 2018.
"Therefore, do not say that my data is wrong. Now, the absorption of rice is 1.4 million instead of 800 thousand tons. So do not make up if you do not know. It is disruptive," Buwas stated in a discussion on food security at Menara Kadin, Jakarta, on Monday.
Previously, a legislator has reminded the government to overcome the difference in data on food in various government's institutions. The data was needed to provide strong foundation for taking a policy.
"Transparency on national food data should be upheld. After all, several ministries have different data about food production and consumption," Viva Yoga Mauladi, deputy chairman of Commission IV of the House of Representatives (DPR), said in a written statement here on May 21.
He stated that having different data about food production and consumption reflected the presence of 'data war' among institutions within the government.
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