Indonesian business has reportedly imported 10,000 MT of rice from Thailand to meet local demand. The first shipment of rice amounting to 4,200 MT from Thailand arrived at Bitung seaport on Sunday (April 8), a local official said here on Wednesday.

In the second or third week of April, the remaining 5,800 MT are expected to arrive in the province. "The rice import is under the Bulog (state-owned logistics agency) flag but actually is fully owned by private businessman," North Sulawesi`s provincial Bulog Office Head Slamet Ariyanto said here.

To deal with a rice shortage, the Indonesian government has set a target of producing 58.1 million MT of (unhusked) rice this year, and set itself to import another one million MT annually to assure the availability of stocks.