Rice Prices Are Still High, In Retail 11 Percent Increase Ahead Of Eid

JAKARTA The Central Statistics Agency found that the price of retail rice had increased by around 11 percent (year on year/yoy) to Rp. 12,795 per kg at the end of March 2023.

Deputy for Distribution and Services Statistics, BPS Pudji Ismartini, said that this price was higher than the same period the previous year, which was Rp. 11,589 per kg.

"The change in the average retail rice price rose 11 percent on an annual basis," he said via digital channel on Monday, April 3.

Pudji explained, in addition to the year on year increase, retail rice prices were also observed to increase monthly or month to month (mtm). It was stated that there was an increase of 0.70 percent mtm in March 2023 to Rp. 12,795 per kg from the previous Rp. 12,707 per kg.

"The increase also occurred in rice prices at the milling and wholesale levels by 19 percent yoy and 15 percent yoy," he said.

However, Pudji believes that the increase in rice prices will gradually recover in the next few months. The reason is, the main harvest period in Indonesia occurred in March-May 2023.

The decrease in rice prices is thought to have not been transmitted from the milling level to wholesale or retail which takes time. This is what causes the difference in rice prices," he said.