Keep Rice Price Stability, Food Task Force Needs To Be Strengthened

Photo: Doc. Antara

The National Police's Food Task Force must be strengthened to maintain the momentum of expectations of falling rice prices in line with the increasing supply and harvest of the main harvest.

Based on Bulog data, currently prices are starting to stabilize and return to normal because the supply of rice at the Johar Karawang Main Market is starting to enter from Central Java which is starting to harvest.

Member of Commission IV DPR RI Firman Subagyo said that the Food Task Force is very much needed to maintain food commodity supervision, so as to create price stability.

"Supervision of food, such as food distribution, must be monitored by the state. There is the role of the food task force. Now that it has entered the harvest period, I ask the government to strictly monitor it. The task force is very much needed," he said, Saturday, March 2.

The Food Task Force also needs to have the authority to get support from the government in carrying out operations or tracing of parties who use strategic food commodities for certain purposes.

Firman added that the entry of imported rice, which coincides with the main harvest, also needs to be managed properly so that distribution must be prioritized in areas that have not experienced the main harvest.

"Do not let imported rice be distributed in areas that are indeed the basis of agricultural products. So it must control the distribution of imports to the community, because this is entering the harvest period," he said.

Meanwhile, the President Director of Perum Bulog Bayu Krisnamurthi appealed to the public not to worry about rising rice prices and rice stocks. According to him, currently prices are starting to stabilize and return to normal because the supply of rice at the Johar Karawang Main Market is starting to enter from Central Java, which is starting to harvest.

"The public does not need to worry now that prices are starting to return to normal and stable. The price of premium rice, which had penetrated Rp. 17 thousand yesterday, is now gradually starting to fall and returning to prices in the range of Rp. 14 thousand. Likewise, medium rice prices are starting to stabilize," said Bayu.

Now, said Bayu, rice supply is approaching normal before Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr so that people don't need to worry. Indonesia's rice needs in 2024 will reach 31.2 million tons, and will be met by June.

"For the next six months, the stock will be safe. We do the needs every six months every year," said Bayu.