JAKARTA - Minister of Agriculture (Mentan) Andi Amran Sulaiman revealed that the ten largest rice producers had been examined by the Food Task Force and Bareskrim Polri.
This examination is part of the government's firm steps in uncovering fraudulent practices by rice producers and protecting consumers.
"Right now, the investigation is already underway. There are 10 largest companies that have been summoned by the Criminal Investigation Unit and the Food Task Force," Amran said when met in Jakarta, Antara, Monday, July 7.
This examination is a follow-up to a report on 212 rice brands that are suspected of not meeting quality standards. Allegations of violations include incompatibility with volume, quality, and clearness of product labels.
Amran emphasized that the current action time is considered very appropriate because the national rice stock is in abundant condition. Based on data from the Ministry of Agriculture, rice stocks currently reach 4.2 million tons, the highest in the last 57 years.
"If the stock is small, we cannot do this because it can have an impact on supply. But now, we have a lot of stock. This is a golden opportunity to bring order," said Amran.
The results of investigations conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture together with the National Food Agency (Bapanas), the Food Task Force, the Attorney General's Office, and the Police found many violations of commercial rice products in the market.
Of the 136 premium rice samples, it was found that 85.56 percent did not comply with quality provisions, 59.78 percent exceeded the highest retail price (HET) and 21.66 percent did not match the packaging weight.
Meanwhile, of the 76 medium rice samples, it was found that 88.24 percent did not match the quality,
95.12 percent violated HET and 9.38 percent did not match the packaging weight.
Amran emphasized that this step is not only to protect consumers, but also to create justice for honest farmers and business actors.
"We want to create a fair ecosystem. Farmers are not harmed, honest entrepreneurs are not turned off, and consumers get decent products," he said.
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The government promised to continue to oversee this case thoroughly and bring the perpetrators of cheating to the legal process.
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