Trade Minister Zulhas Claims Rice Supply For Price Stabilization Has Flooded The Market

Minister of Trade (Mendag) Zulkifli Hasan gave a statement at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, Tuesday (10/10/2023). (ANTARA/Indra Arief Pribadi)

JAKARTA - Trade Minister (Mendag) Zulkifli Hasan said the government had flooded the market with market operating rice to control rice prices that continued to climb.

However, according to Zulhas, as he is familiarly called, there are obstacles in the distribution of rice because packaging takes a long time so that rice prices are still high in some areas.

"Regarding rice staples, we have flooded the rice in the market. Indeed, there are those that are a bit slow (rice) usually at the district level where 5 kilograms of rice need to be packaged. Now, we have to weigh the kiloan, it takes time so we need to accelerate it," said Zulhas at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, as reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, October 10.

With efforts to accelerate packaging, he hopes that rice supplies can immediately flood traditional markets in the regions. According to Zulhas, rice prices are still high in areas outside Jabodetabek and West Java.

"In Jakarta, West Java, it has dropped but not even though it has gone up, so that it goes down quickly, indeed goods must go to the area quickly," he said.

President Joko Widodo on Monday (9/10), ordered his staff to immediately release rice stocks in Perum Bulog's warehouse to the market to control prices that continue to rise in the market.

The government has doubled efforts to flood markets with Bulog rice, including by distributing rice to the Cipinang rice wholesale market, milling, through the distribution of Stableized Rice Supply and Market Prices (SPHP), or distribution of food aid to low-income communities.

To maintain stock availability and price stabilization, the Government has also secured an import quota of 1.5 million tons of rice by next year.

The procurement of 1.5 million tons of rice, among others, was carried out by imports from Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia. For the initial stage, as much as 600 tons of imported rice will come at the end of December 2023.