Indonesia ranks 3rd in the world in regards to total rice production, but has also been the world’s 7th largest rice importer over the past 5 years – on average requiring over 1.1 million tons of imports per year. Of the top ten global rice producing nations, only the Philippines and Indonesia also rank in the top ten of all rice importers. Owing to the perennial shortfall of rice production, food security and the pursuit of national rice self-sufficiency have become predominant concerns of the government in Indonesia. Rice is the staple foodgrain, and the country's primary statistical agency (Badan Pusat Statistik or BPS) estimates Indonesia to have the 7th highest per capita rice consumption rate in the world, at 139 kilograms per person. The Indonesian government also estimates that its people rely on rice for roughly 50 and 40 percent of their daily caloric and protein requirements, respectively. For this country of 248 million people (The World Factbook), the status of its domestic rice supply is synonymous with its food security. However, in recent years total rice consumption has been rising faster than production, as the growth rate of national rice area and yield has faltered.