Illustrative photo (Photo: antaranews.com) Jakarta (VNA)– Indonesia is facing a scarcity of premium-grade rice in retailstores as a result of producers pegging rice prices at a high level.
Accordingly, asignificant increase in prices was recorded in premium-grade rice, from around 13,000 Rp (0.83 USD) per kg toabout 16,000 – 17,000 Rp (1.02-1.08 USD) per kg.
TheIndonesian Retail Entrepreneurs Association (Arprindo) complained aboutdifficulties in receiving premium-grade rice in the five-kilogram package.
Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas) Arief Prasetyo Adi said that the agency is implementing measures to ensurerice supply and stabilised rice prices in Indonesia.
Of the measures are to speedup the unloading process for ships carrying imported rice at ports across thecountry; continue to distribute 200,000 tonnes of commercial rice from the StateLogistics Agency (Bulog) including 50,000 tonnes to Cipinang central ricemarket in Jakarta; distribute rice under the Food Supply and Price StabilisationProgramme (SPHP) to traditional markets and retail stores, and continue the CheapFood Movement (GPM) nationwide.
Arief said about 1.2million tonnes of rice will be distributed to stores. The distribution of ricesupport will still take place on February 15, after the 2024 general electionon February 14. Previously, the Indonesian government temporarily stopped thedistribution of rice support from January 8 -14 to ensure election activities.He also affirmed that the distribution was planned previously and there was nopoliticisation of food support.
Ahead of the expected bigharvest in March, Bapanas, the Ministry of Agriculture, and relevantstakeholders will optimise rice absorption to prevent farmer-level price drops.
At the same time,replenishing the Government Food Reserves (CPP) from domestic production willbe prioritised./.
