Prevent Scarcity, Retail Asked To Lower Rice Prices Not In Accordance With Quality Standards

Rice (photo: Doc Antara)

JAKARTA The National Food Agency (Bapanas) appealed to retail business actors to continue to distribute premium rice stocks that were found not according to quality standards to consumers, but with price adjustments. This step was taken to prevent supply vacancies in the field and maintain affordability for the community.

"This step is so that it doesn't go short in the field. These rice is still good, only it doesn't match the content with the packaging. So the price must be lowered according to the contents in it. From our joint observations, checking in the field, the price was lowered by around Rp. 1,000," said Head of Badanas, Arief Prasetyo Adi in a written statement Tuesday, July 29.

The appeal was contained in a letter numbered 589/TS.02.02/B/07/2025 submitted by Bapanas through the Deputy for Food Availability and Stabilization to the Indonesian Retail Entrepreneurs Association (Aprindo) as of July 25, 2025.

In essence, retailers are asked to continue selling the available rice in warehouses and display shelves even though there are indications that they do not meet premium quality standards, as long as fair price adjustments are made.

"So the rice that has been on sale, which is already on the shelves, is already in the market, it's not being withdrawn, because if it is withdrawn, later there will be a vacancy. People want to buy it, so it's difficult. The quality of these rice is still good, only the broken is high. Well, we ask for the price to be adjusted. So customers can still buy rice according to the quality," explained Arief.

Based on the monitoring of the Bapanas Food Price Panel as of July 28, the national average price of premium rice began to show a slight decline. Zone 1 decreased from IDR 15,500/kg to IDR 15,489/kg. In Zone 2 from IDR 16,583/kg to IDR 16,572/kg. While in Zone 3 from IDR 18,159/kg to IDR 18,150/kg.

Arief explained that the government took the ultimum remedium approach with the National Police's Food Task Force so that the stock remained stable, without causing panic in the market. He gave an example of the case of cooking oil the previous year, when the withdrawal of goods caused empty shelves and panic in the community.

"In the past there was an incident of cooking oil, then all the shelves were empty, there were no items, it could even make a new noise again. Even though the rice problem was in the broken rice. And the coordination meeting led by the Coordinating Minister for Food yesterday (July 25), all agreed that rice does not need to be withdrawn, because if it is withdrawn, it can actually create new noise again," he said.

However, the government insists that it will act decisively against unnatural practices in the expansion sector. Arief said that President Prabowo Subianto's attention was very high on this issue.

Especially for the Supply Stabilization and Food Price (SPHP) rice program, his party asked for extra tight supervision. He reminded that there is no manipulation such as mixing SPHP rice with other types.

"Well, specifically for SPHP rice, we are indeed asking for stricter supervision. So I myself ask the President Director of Bulog, so that he can maintain the distribution of this SPHP rice. It is not allowed to cut the sacks, after that it is mixed again with other types, it is not allowed. That is a crime and if proven, surely he will not hesitate to be given the appropriate punishment," said Arief.

For information, the government has allocated a budget of IDR 1.3 trillion for the distribution of SPHP rice in the July-December 2025 period. With the support from the APBN, there is no room for tolerance for irregularities in the use and distribution of SPHP rice.