Ministry Of Agriculture Expresses Test Of Food Station Rice Samples Violate Quality, This Is The Response Of The DKI Provincial Government

JAKARTA - Head of the DKI Jakarta Regional Owned Enterprise Development Agency (BP BUMD) Syaefuloh Hidayat responded to the results of the quality test of the rice sample produced by PT Food Station Tjipinang Jaya which was revealed by the Ministry of Agriculture recently.

As a result, the rice from the BUMD owned by the DKI Provincial Government was declared not to meet premium quality standards.

Syaefuloh admitted that his party would study the results of the test before taking further action.

"I study it first, yes. If I already know, I will definitely tell you," said Syaefuloh when met at Menteng Park, Central Jakarta, Thursday, July 17.

Previously, the Head of the Ministry of Agriculture's Communication and Information Service Bureau, Moch Arief Cahyono, said that rice samples from the Food Station had been tested in five independent laboratories.

The test results showed that several brands such as Alfamidi Setra Pulen and Beras Premium Setra Ramos did not meet the quality requirements as premium rice in accordance with applicable regulations.

In addition, it was found that the product was sold beyond the highest retail price (HET) set by the government.

"If the Food Station needs a copy of the laboratory data, please contact the National Police Headquarters Food Task Force. They already have all the test results and are investigating these findings," said Arief in a written statement.

The Ministry of Agriculture also highlighted other information circulating in the media regarding the alleged practice of mixing rice at the Cipinang Rice Main Market.

A trader revealed that there was an order of 10 tons of rice from one of the members of the DKI Jakarta DPRD which was packaged in 2,000 sacks measuring five kilograms. Each sack contains a mixture of various types of rice, allegedly to reduce prices and reap greater profits.

"We urge PT Food Station Tjipinang Jaya and related parties to immediately focus on improving product quality. Instead of being busy fending off issues in the media, we want to see concrete steps to ensure the quality of rice according to standards and prices remain reasonable for the community," said Arief.

Some time ago, Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman also revealed the results of an investigation conducted with the Food Task Force. 212 rice brands were found suspected of being mixed rice, namely a mixture of medium and premium rice.

"We will not tolerate fraudulent practices like this. Don't treat the people by mixing rice and selling it at premium prices. This is not only an economic problem, but also moral," said Amran.