Indonesia’s National Food Agency (Bapanas) has urged the Trade Ministry to issue long-awaited import permits for garlic, as stalled purchases and shipments of the produce have curbed stocks and sent prices up.
Undersecretary for food availability and stabilization at Bapanas I. Gusti Ketut Astawa has projected that the country’s demand for garlic would be 669,354 tons this year, some 600,000 of which would be met through imports. Almost five months into the year, however, import permits issued so far total only 176,000 tons, and 73 percent of that combined quota has already been realized, according to Bapanas.
Source: thejakartapost.com