Bank Indonesia Reveals Bali’s Reliance on Outside Food Supplies

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According to recent reports, Bali’s demand for food is notably high due to its status as a popular tourist destination for both local and international communities. However, the region still heavily relies on outside food supplies, despite the Bali Mandiri Pangan program established by the local government to promote self-sufficiency.

The Bali branch of the Bank of Indonesia has released data indicating that in 2022, Bali’s supply of food products such as rice, vegetables, meat, and fruit is still largely sourced from outside regions like East Java.

For instance, the quantity of rice brought in from outside Bali amounts to 64,579.1 tons per year, followed by vegetables at 17,436.8 tons, fish at 13,379 tons, bottled water at 25,852 tons, and eggs at 913.5 tons.

There is a total of 186,067 tons of the fourteen food commodities sent to Bali from other regions. Other agricultural products shipped into Bali from outside include 44,728 tons of fruit, 18,053 tons of palm leaf, 3,195.4 tons of chili, 3,031.9 tons of onion, 2,916 tons of corn, 2,769 tons of cassava, 2,365 tons of beans, and 2,132 tons of spices.

Moreover, Bali’s supply of livestock, including 1,629.2 tons of chickens, 329.4 tons of goats, 102.5 tons of pigs, and 12.6 tons of cows, is also dependent on outside regions.

The head of Bank of Indonesia’s Bali branch, Trisno Nugroho, explained that Bali’s dependency on outside food supplies stems from the region’s high demand for food, particularly as a tourist destination visited by over four million domestic and international tourists every year.

Trisno suggested that technological approaches are needed to develop Bali’s agriculture, which faces the challenge of high land-use conversion.

“In the future, we need to strengthen the agriculture sector, such as digitizing agricultural production, using superior seeds, and implementing various agricultural technologies, particularly those that can increase productivity on small plots of land. This is expected to encourage diversification of leading sectors besides tourism, as well as promote Bali’s food self-sufficiency,” he stated on Monday (15/5/2023).

Over the years, Bali has imported much of its food from East Java, particularly Banyuwangi and its surrounding areas, as well as from West Nusa Tenggara (NTB).

Aside from importing food, Bali also exports various commodities such as coconut, spices, cloves, coffee, and other items. Bali is capable of exporting 15,709 tons of coconut, 8,442 tons of fruit, 2,941 tons of spices, 1.14 tons of chili, 385.4 tons of cloves, 404.7 tons of coffee, and other commodities.

Regarding livestock, Bali exports cows to outside regions, with the Bank of Indonesia recording that Bali can export 632.5 tons of cows. Upon comparing the amount of incoming and outgoing food commodities, it is clear that Bali imports much more food than it exports.

Therefore, it is critical for Bali to continue to prioritize efforts toward enhancing local food production to promote food self-sufficiency and reduce dependence on outside regions.