VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Legislator Andi Akmal Pasluddin of the House of Representatives' Commission IV has, asked the Ministry of Agriculture to reduce the imports of garlic which reach more than 450,000 tons annually .

The lawmaker said in a statement here on Sunday that 99 percent of Indonesia's garlic imports came from China, while the rest, amounting to hundreds of tons to 2,000 tons at the most, were from India, Taiwan, the United States, and Egypt.

In 2015, Indonesia's garlic imports from China reached 482,000 tons, in 2016 was 445,000 tons, in 2017 was 550,000 tons, in 2018 was 585,000 tons, and 2019 was 472,000 tons.

"I really regret that there has been no change in the situation of domestic garlic imports," he said.

The PKS (Prosperous Justice Party) politician said that government allocated funds amounting to Rp1,14 trillion at least in the 2021 State Budget for the Agriculture Ministry's Directorate General of Horticulture Ministry of Agriculture.

He asked the ministry to support the country's garlic farmers by providing seeds, giving guidance and other necessary facilities in order to increase the country's garlic production and reduce the garlic imports.

The lawmaker quoted a prediction of garlic importers that Indonesia might face a garlic scarcity following the issuance of the Trade Minister's Regulation No 20/2021 on import licensing.

Andi Akmal Pasluddin asked the Agriculture Ministry to respond to the challenge by guaranteeing the availability of garlic adequately and at affordable price. (Antaranews)