Surabaya, East Java, Sept. 23 -- The Indonesian government pursues its best efforts to secure rice and food stock to ensure that people's needs are met, Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman stressed.

"I say, no more complaints about rice and food stock. The President gave a directive that all people's needs are fulfilled," he said in Surabaya, East Java, on Tuesday, during Cheap Food Initiative (GPM).

Some measures are carried out, such as allocating Rp 1.6 trillion (around US$ 97.56 million) to push for sugar production by clearing sugarcane ratoon, he said.

Of the budget, East Java gets Rp700 billion (US$42.68 million) because 50 percent of the national sugar is supplied by that region. However, 86 percent of its sugarcane crop i...