Jakarta, Feb. 11 -- The government is balancing the food crop farmers' exchange rate (NTPP) with national rice availability, said Arief Prasetyo Adi, Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas), on Sunday.

"We need more rice, and with farmers unable to plant due to El Nino, the government is balancing the rice shortage with imports," he told ANTARA.

Sufficient rice supplies are crucial to maintaining stock-demand balance despite shortages caused by the El Nino phenomenon, as Indonesia faces a 2.4-million-ton deficit in January and February, he added.

He emphasized that imports are a last resort to ensure rice availability.

"It's unfortunate, but imports are necessary now to meet current needs," he stated.

He ensured that the imports w...