Jakarta, Feb. 13 -- Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman met with President Joko Widodo at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, on Tuesday, to report on the efforts made to bolster the production rate of rice and corn.

"Earlier in the morning, Mr President summoned us. He asked for updates on crop production, particularly rice and corn. We have briefed him on the developments," Sulaiman told journalists at the palace.

He remarked that the Agriculture Ministry had taken various measures for stepping up rice and corn production, including by irrigating crop fields on Java Island and other regions using water pumps that deliver water from nearby rivers.

The minister remarked that his office had been striving to make the most of Indonesia...