Indonesia to import two million tonnes of rice against impending drought in country

JAKARTA, April 8 (Xinhua): Indonesia will import two million tonnes of rice by the end of this year to deal with the impending drought caused by El Nino, said Indonesian President Joko Widodo had announced.

Rice imports aim to keep the State Logistics Agency's stockpiles and stabilize domestic prices because El Nino will cause a protracted drought and affect the country's rice production, Widodo said after planting rice in East Java province.