Accelerate Price Stabilization, Minister Of Agriculture Embraces Association Of Rice Milling Salurkan Rice Bulog

Bulog rice (Photo: Doc. intermediate)

The Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) embraces the Indonesian Rice Milling and Rice Entrepreneurs Association (PERPADI) in Surakarta to help distribute Perum Bulog commercial rice as an effort to maintain the stability of rice prices.

Plt. Minister of Agriculture (Mentan) Arief Prasetyo Adi said that the realization of a national expansion ecosystem that has stability in all lines is a concern for the government.

"So Mr. President Joko Widodo's order to me is to form a food ecosystem by connecting end to end. Starting from ministries, institutions, associations, private sectors, BUMN, to post-harvest parties such as rice milling. Everything is hand in hand. Mainly for stock strengthening and price stability in the market," he said in an official statement, Tuesday, October 24.

Arief said that today his condition is upstream, rice farmers are happy with the better price of grain. Then downstream there have been many government programs as intervention to reduce rice prices in the market.

"Now it's just a matter of how to pay attention to the whole rice mill," he said.

The head of the National Food Agency also said that he had a solution strategy to help with the condition of the rice milling. He said efforts to flood the market with rice from Perum Bulog, including rice milling, were the fastest steps.

"For the acceleration of price stabilization, we have prepared 200,000 tons to the entrepreneur's rice pangolin, but not the merchant. We will prepare the price together later. This is to help distribute rice as soon as possible to the community," he said.

As is known, Bulog's commercial rice stock of 200,000 tons will be disbursed directly to national rice mills. This step is to complement government intervention efforts that have been intensified so far in order to accelerate the reduction in rice prices which are still above the Highest Retail Price (HET).

This is the fastest step we can take. The task of NFA is to ensure that the stock is available and there. So we prepare the Bulog stock not to be below 1 million tons. Currently, Bulog's stock is 1.4-1.5 million tons. So we want to make sure later during the February 14 election, all our stock is sufficient, even until April 9, "he concluded.

Based on observations from the food price panel managed by NFA, the price of medium rice in the market again illustrates the increasingly conducive conditions. It was observed that the price of medium rice as of October 23 was recorded at Rp. 13,190 per kg. This indicates a 30 point decline compared to the price of similar rice on October 1 which was at Rp. 13,220 per kg.

Furthermore, the price of IR-III medium rice at the Cipinang Rice Main Market (PIBC) has again recorded depreciation. It was observed that on October 20 the price of rice at PIBC was recorded at Rp. 10,996 per kg. This has decreased gradually compared to the price of October 1 which is at Rp. 11,331 per kg.

The trend of slowing prices in the market is collaborative hard work through various efforts. So far, the realization of the second phase of rice food assistance starting in September has reached 399,000 tons or 66.3 percent as of October 22.

Then the distribution of the Supply Stabilization and Food Price (SPHP) rice until October 22 has reached as much as 854,000 tons. Finally, in the form of the Cheap Food Movement (GPM) until October 20, NFA together with local governments have activated 1,133 locations spread across 332 districts/cities.

On the same occasion, the General Chairperson of the PERPADI DPP Sutarto Alimoeso stated that this meeting was a forum in discussing existing problems and formulating solutions that could be proposed to the government.

"Today approximately 690 people from all over Indonesia. Maybe tomorrow there will be more than 700 people. Of course everyone knows that the rice issue is not okay, so we meet (currently) how to find solutions and provide input to the government. (We hope) The Minister of Agriculture who is also the Head of the National Food Agency can provide direction to all of us," said Sutarto.