Stefani Ribka, Jakarta – The government is being criticized by some for its tardiness in revitalizing 53 state-owned sugar factories with low productivity.

Jakarta – National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian has said rice firms took too much profit from the unhusked rice they bought from farmers, who received subsidies to grow the crop.

Jakarta – PT Tiga Pilar Sejahtera, the parent company of PT Indo Beras Unggul (IBU), has denied any wrongdoing in the production of its premium rice despite a police investigation.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Food and Beverage Producers Association (Gapmmi) has called on the government not to add to the burden of the industry through mandating halal certification for their produ

Jakarta – National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Insp. Gen. Budi Gunawan has said the Indonesian economy is currently being controlled by food and energy cartels.

Jakarta – The government plans to supply markets with more frozen buffalo meat in an effort to push prices down, even though it is less popular than fresh beef meat.

Grace D.

Paulina Quintao – Dili resident Rosaria Martins da Cruz urges the national parliament to create a consumer protection law to regulate the import of foods into the country.

Dessy Sagita – From more than 50,000 bakso vendors in Indonesia, less than 1 percent have secured a halal certificate, according to the Indonesian Ulema Council.

Ronna Nirmala & Markus Junianto Sihaloho – Calls to bolster the depleting supply of beef in Jakarta have increased after the recent discovery of a meat-processing plant that mixed p

The Trade Ministry on Friday said it was conducting random sampling of meatball soup sold by vendors in Greater Jakarta, threatening five-year prison terms to those proven to be mixing

Jakarta Police arrested four people on Wednesday for running a meat processing factory that allegedly mixed pork into what is supposed to be pure beef meatballs, which are used in the p

Ulma Haryanto – Depok Mayor Nur Mahmudi Ismail is never far from controversial policies. He has banned karaoke bars and obliged people to eat using their right hands.

Jakarta – Yati and her family have rarely eaten fried food in the last few months.

Jakarta – Housewives have protested the soaring prices of basic commodities which have left traditional markets and shopping centers empty, nationwide.

The way the Indonesian government reacted to the steep soybean price hike last week was similar to the pathetic manner in which it tried to address the sky-high oil price rises.

Matthew Moore, Jakarta – In Indonesia's better hotels you will sometimes see signs that read: "No Durians Past This Point." Because the prickly green fruit has a smell that lingers like

Kathy Marks, Banda Aceh – The group of men drinking coffee at a roadside stall sprang out of their chairs as the convoy of trucks and buses passed by in a cloud of dust.

Dean Yates, Banda Aceh – As the battered truck pulled up after negotiating some of Aceh's dangerous country roads, 20 traders crowded around, eager to get their supplies of tomatoes, ch

Jakarta – Prices of some basic commodities are climbing in the Aceh capital of Banda Aceh as the ongoing conflict between government troops and separatist rebels has disrupted supplies

Banda Aceh – As killings continue in restive Aceh province, tens of thousands of people in three subdistricts of Pidie regency are facing food shortages following a road block by separa

Robert Go, Jakarta – Gourmet coffee is coming home to Java as cafe culture takes hold of Indonesia's yuppies – even in the midst of an economic crisis.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Recession-hit, lower-income Indonesians are turning to instant noodles instead of rice as a key source of nourishment, sending sales soaring.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – In what could become another political hot potato for President Abdurrahman Wahid's beleaguered government, the country's highest Islamic authority disclosed y

Jakarta – Indonesia yesterday said that half of the country has been hit by food shortages. Food Minister A. M.

Jakarta – A former military officer in charge of distributing rice in Jakarta has admitted to syphoning off half of the food grain for profit as prices soared beyond the reach of the po

Jakarta – Militant Muslim leaders in Indonesia have attacked as insufficient a planned government decree which will limit sales of alcoholic drinks, a newspaper said Thursday.