REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, MANADO -- Thousand tons of imported rice from Vietnam entered North Sulawesi. It was government's efforts to maintain food reserves after the depletion of stocks.

"Today, there are rice imports from Vietnam as much as 4,800 tons," said Head of Bulog Division of North Sulawesi, Sabaruddin Amrulla, in Manado, Wednesday (4/11).

Sabaruddin said, rice imports were carried out by the central government because rice stocks in several regions began to limit. So it should be imported.

"And also, this is an anticipation of central government in facing Elnino, because if the drought continues until the beginning of the year there will be no harvest," he explained.

He said, most of local rice productions in Indonesia were still in the drought. Farmers could not do the planting at the end of the year.

Head of Public Service Bulog Division of North Sulawesi, Ramadin Ruding, said the actual stock of rice in North Sulawesi was enough until February 2016. However,  due to the addition of two other allocations, government should automatically add the rice reserves.

"The distribution of rice for the poor makes us to import, so that the stock will be enough at least for the next three months," he said.

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