Jakarta – Indonesia's production of dry un-hulled rice is forecast to slide 2 per cent to 53.10 million tons this year from last year because of a decline in harvest area.

Floods and drought would contribute to the decline in addition to a change in the planting season, the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) said.

BPS chief Choiril Maksum said the tsunami in December 2004 had destroyed large rice fields in Aceh and parts of North Sumatra. Choiril said harvest areas in 2005 are estimated to shrink to 11.6 million hectares from 11.92 million hectares in 2004.

Many farmers have also chosen to change their crops considered more profitable such as soybean, he said, adding that the country's soybean production is expected to increase by 9.41 per cent to 792,000 tons this year.

Increase is also expected in the production of corn to 11.74 million tons in dry grains from 11.23 million tons in last year.