Mohd Nasir Yusoff, Bernama – Indonesia is projected to enjoy a rice production surplus of 3.8 million tonnes in 2009 or 5.37 per cent more than last year, a senior agriculture ministry official said.

The country was this year expected to produce a total of 63.52 million tonnes of dried unhulled paddy, the equivalent of 35.9 million tonnes of rice, said director-general of food crops Sutarto Alimoeso.

"With domestic rice demand this year to stand at 32.1 million tonnes, the expected production figure means there will be a surplus of 3.8 million tonnes," he said as quoted by Antara news agency today.

Meanwhile, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), the country's dried unhulled paddy production last year was around 60.26 million tonnes.

The government has expressed optimism that this year's rice production target would be achieved, thanks to favourable climate condition and a 0.3 per cent expansion in the overall rice farming area.

Agriculture ministry data showed that during the last rice farmers' planting season (Oct-Dec 2008), paddy was planted on a total area of 4.64 million hectares as compared to 4.62 million hectares in the planting season in 2007 and 3.39 million hectares in 2006.

Prior to this, Malaysia had expressed willingness to buy rice from Indonesia, following an earlier announcement of the projected surplus.