Rice Prices Are Increasingly Expensive, BPS Reveals The Cause

JAKARTA - The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) said there were a number of main causes that pushed for the current increase in rice prices. This was revealed by the Deputy for Distribution and Services Statistics at BPS Pudji Ismartini during a press conference today.

"The increase in rice prices has been detected at the producer level, namely an increase in grain prices, both the Harvest Dry Grain (GKP) and the Giling Dry Grain (GKG)," she said Friday, September 1.

Pudji noted that the price of the August GKP was IDR 5,833/Kg, an increase from July which was IDR 5,629/Kg. Likewise with GKG which amounted to IDR 6,760/Kg from the previous IDR 6,389/Kg.

"This is also triggered by price competition by the owner of the grain itself, both to farmers and to mills," she said.

Meanwhile, on the other hand, continued Pudji, the number of national rice production tends to decrease.

"The reason is because it had already passed the harvest period in July," she said.

Pudji explained, in August 2023 rice commodities contributed 1.42 percent month to month (mtm) inflation compared to July 2023.

"This monthly rice inflation is the highest since March 2023 at 2.34 percent," she said.

While on an annual basis (year on year/yoy), this rice inflation has been the highest in recent years.

"The highest rice inflation previously occurred in October 2015, which at that time was 13.44 percent year on year," she said.

For information, general inflation (Consumer Price Index / IHK) in August 2023 was 3.27 percent yoy. The book was up from July 2023 which was 3.08 percent yoy.

Meanwhile, on a monthly basis, there was a deflation of minus 0.02 percent mtm from the previous 0.21 percent last July.