El Nino phenomenon disrupts rice production in Indonesia

Key necessity: Workers unload rice imported from Vietnam at the port of Malahayati, in Indonesia’s Aceh province. Rice was the biggest contributor to inflation in the country from August to October. — AFP

JAKARTA: The extreme El Nino phenomenon in Indonesia has disrupted the rice production in the largest economy of South-East Asia, which has resorted to imports to secure domestic stocks.

A prolonged drought resulting in lower rice production has pushed the rice price to soar, which could be directly felt by the public.