An Indonesian minister said on Thursday that the country is expecting to stop importing rice from foreign countries by 2013 following the implementation of Corporate-based Food Production Improvement program (GP3K).

The rice stock was sufficient to fulfill the public's need, so Indonesia decided not to import rice anymore, the State-owned Enterprises (SOE) Minister Dahlan Iskan said in Sukabumi, West Java, adding it was expected that Indonesia will no longer import rice from 2013.

After three years of implementing the GP3K program, the minister said that as of mid this month the country's rice logistic agency of Bulog managed to pile up 3.5 million tons of rice bought from domestic farmers.

"The GP3K program is proven of capable to boost up national rice production," he added.

He said that before implementing the program, Bulog had never met its target in gathering rice from the farmers, not even in 20 years.

"The rice production hike is not merely a success to the government. It appears to be the results of good and coordinated efforts conducted by farmers, counselors, and farmer groups," he was quoted by the Antara news agency as saying.

The GP3K is a program from SOE Ministry to resolve rice reserves shortages in the country. The program financing requires 9.5 trillion rupiah (about $986.2 million), using extensive farming technology to improve rice production of paddy rice.

The minister expected that implementation of GP3K program would make Indonesia one of the largest rice producers in the region.