Medium Rice Prices Rise, Badanas Boss Calls Triggered To Buy Grain Recklessly

Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas) Arief Prasetyo Adi. (Photo: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas) Arief Prasetyo Adi opened up about the causes of the current increase in the price of medium rice in the market.

One of them was triggered by the purchase of a high price of unhulled rice from the start.

Furthermore, Arief explained, the price of GKP was set at IDR 6,500 per kilogram (kg). However, at the producer level, the price grew because each of them raised the price to get the supply of grain.

"Because buying the unhulled unhulled rice. Right now, the price of unhulled rice is Rp. 6,500, then who is bought Rp. 6,800, you buy Rp. 7,000, Wilmar buys Rp. 7,400, Topi Koki buys Rp. 7500, you, Wilmar doesn't want to lose, buys Rp. 7,600 to Rp. 7,800," said Arief, met at the Coordinating Ministry for Food, Jakarta, Tuesday, July 15.

Arief explained that the high purchase price of GKP made the cost of production in rice mills increase and affect the next level.

As a result, the final price at the consumer level also soared.

"That's why the much highlighted price of grain, (traders) always say no, don't enter (because the price of grain is high). Yes, it doesn't come in if you buy the grain, it's already Rp. 7,800," he said.

According to Arief, the increase in the price of unhulled rice can be anticipated by rice milling entrepreneurs by stocking when the price is low.

"Yesterday, at the time of harvest, when the price of unhulled rice was Rp. 6,500, he should have bought him stock, right. Big companies have the ability to buy a lot and they stock up," said Arief.

Arief said this was allowed in regulations issued by the government. However, with the provision of three times the usual sales.

"The Regulation of the Minister of Trade may sell a maximum of 3 times. So if the sales are 1,000 tons, he charges 3,000 tons, it's okay, it's not piled up until the next noisy harvest, there's a noisy harvest, every month it's harvest, but the biggest harvest is March, April. ," he said.

For your information, citing the National Food Agency (Bapanas) Price Panel, July 15, 2025, the average price of medium rice is Rp. 14,317 per kilogram (kg) or 14.45 percent of the Highest Retail Price (HET).