A Week, The Price Of Rice In Lebak Rose IDR 500 Per Kg

Illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

The price of rice in a number of traditional markets in Lebak Regency, Banten, over the past week has increased by IDR 500 per kilogram (kg).

"We are confused about the increase in rice, because it has an impact on sales turnover," said a rice trader at Rangkasbitung Market, Lebak Regency, Baden as quoted by Antara, Monday, February 6.

The increase in the price of medium rice occurred in all types, which increased by Rp500 per kg.

The KW I medium rice is sold for IDR 11,500 per kg from the previous IDR 11,000 per kg.

KW II medium rice is sold for IDR 10,500 per kg from the original IDR 10,000 per kg.

Meanwhile, KW III medium rice is sold for IDR 9,500 per kg from the previous IDR 9,000 per kg.

"The increase in rice prices has occurred since the last week," said Baden.

He said the increase in rice prices was due to the lack of grain stocks at the farmer level over the past month.

Farmers in a number of areas in Lebak and Pandeglang Regencies have entered the harvest, but farmers cannot produce rice due to high rainfall.

"I don't think farmers can dry unhulled rice, because the rainfall is high and the weather is cloudy," he explained.

Likewise, Ujang, a rice trader at Maja Market, Lebak Regency, admitted that almost every week the price of rice continues to creep up due to the lack of local rice supply.

Ujang said, most rice traders were supplied from farmers in Lebak, Pandeglang and Serang regencies.

Rice traders sell medium-type rice on average and do not sell premium rice.

"We are now selling rice down 30 percent from daily sales turnover due to rising rice prices," said Ujang.

Head of Food Production Division of the Lebak Regency Agriculture Service, Deni Iskandar, said that currently food stocks have decreased due to delays in the planting season in October-November 2022.

However, from December 2022 to January 2023, the planting movement was carried out to reach tens of thousands of hectares.

It is certain that the main harvest season in March-April 2023 will overflow and meet market demand.

For now, the stock of unhulled rice is minimal, so the price of harvested dry unhulled rice (GKP) has also increased to IDR 5,000 per kg from the previous IDR 4,300 per kg.

"We believe that although food production has decreased, rice needs have been met, prices have increased," he also said.

Head of the Trade Division of the Department of Industry and Trade (Disperindag) of Lebak Regency, Dedi Setiawan, said that his party would coordinate with Perum Bulog Warunggunung to find out the cause of the increase in rice prices.

"We hope that with this coordination we can anticipate that rice prices will not increase, because it can trigger inflation," he said again.