Collaborating With The National Police And Food Partners, The Minister Of Agriculture Forms A Rice Price Control Task Force

Minister of Agriculture, Andi Amran Sulaiman. (Photo: Doc. Ministry of Agriculture)

JAKARTA - Minister of Agriculture (Mentan)/Head of the National Food Agency (Head of Bapanas) Andi Amran Sulaiman initiated the formation of the 2025 Rice Price Control Task Force with the National Police and partners involved in the food sector.

Amran said this step was part of the government's big strategy in ensuring rice prices did not exceed the Highest Retail Price (HET) in all parts of Indonesia.

"We just had a meeting with the National Police Chief, the Minister of Home Affairs, the Minister of Trade, the Deputy Minister, us along with Bulog and all the Dirkrimsus (Directorate of Special Criminal Investigation) throughout Indonesia, the Trade Office throughout Indonesia. Then Pimwil (Regional Leader) Bulog throughout Indonesia. We will operate market," he said in an official statement, Monday, October 20.

"There are two ways. The first is a massive market operation. The second is to maintain HET. (traders) must sell rice under HET," he continued.

Amran said this task force consists across ministries and institutions, ranging from the Coordinating Ministry for Food, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Trade, Bapanas, Perum Bulog, to local governments. Regional implementers will be coordinated by the National Police Food Task Force.

The focus of supervision includes medium, premium, and Stabilization of Food Supply and Prices (SPHP) rice. If violations are found against HET, business actors will be given a warning first, before being subject to strict sanctions in the form of revocation of permits.

"So we have agreed to appeal to distributors, traders, retailers, please obey the existing regulations, namely following the HET, the highest retail price. We urge you to 2 weeks. If there are still (not according to the HET), with all humility, we apologize, we agree to revoke the permit," he said.

Amran emphasized that price control is not only to protect consumers, but also producers. The government has allocated food subsidies of up to Rp150 trillion, with rice subsidies reaching around Rp5,000 per kilogram (kg).

"Well, so this must be maintained, it must be intervened because we are protecting producers, we must also protect consumers. Therefore, we agree that we collaborate, market operations, appeals, and finally take action," he said.

Amran said that this control effort began to show results. Based on reports from the Minister of Home Affairs and the National Police, there are now only 59 districts that have experienced an increase in rice prices, down much from the previous 200 regions.

"Even recently, the National Police Chief also said that there are only 20 regencies. So this is a unit, this is a really collaboration. There is an appeal, urging traders, then there is market operations, finally taking action," he explained.

Meanwhile, National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo added that the stabilization of national expansion was a direct direction from President Prabowo Subianto. For this reason, the formation of the Task Force is needed to keep rice prices from exceeding the established HET.

The results of the meeting were agreed to form a Task Force to keep rice prices in accordance with the HET price. We are working together, so that we can start taking steps starting from law enforcement, reprimands, administrative sanctions. (This is so that) the HET price is maintained," said Listyo.

For your information, the HET of medium and premium rice has been regulated in the Decree of the Head of the National Food Agency Number 299 of 2025 concerning the Determination of the Highest Retail Price of Rice which is effective from August 22, 2025.

Zone 1 consisting of Java, Lampung, South Sumatra, Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, and Sulawesi is set by HET for medium rice of IDR 13,500 per kg and premium rice of IDR 14,900 per kg.

Meanwhile, Zone 2 is Sumatra (except for Lampung and South Sumatra), East Nusa Tenggara, and Kalimantan with a HET of medium rice of Rp. 14,000 per kg and premium rice of Rp. 15,400 per kg. Zone 3 is Maluku and Papua with a HET of medium rice of Rp. 15,500 per kg and premium rice of Rp. 15,800 per kg.

Furthermore, the Decree of the Head of the National Food Agency Number 224 of 2025 stipulates the price of the SPHP program rice at the consumer level starting July 2025. For Zone 1 it is enforced at IDR 12,500 per kg, Zone 2 at a price of IDR 13,100 per kg, and Zone 3 with IDR 13,500 per kg.

Launching from the average rice price from the Bapanas Food Price Panel, as of October 19, the average price of premium rice at Rp. 15,258 per kg or 2.40 percent above HET was Rp. 14,900 per kg. However, the average price for this day has decreased compared to the previous month which had been at Rp. 15,332 per kg.

Then the average price of premium rice in Zone 2 was recorded at Rp. 16,342 per kg or 6.12 percent exceeding HET of Rp. 15,400 per kg and Zone 3 at Rp. 18,120 per kg or 14.68 percent away from HET which was Rp. 15,800 per kg.

Meanwhile, the average price of medium rice in Zone 1 and 2 is slightly below HET, but Zone 3 exceeds slightly above HET. As of October 19, the average price of medium rice in Zone 1 is at Rp13,369 per kg or 0.97 percent below HET of Rp13,500 per kg.

Then Zone 2 is at an average price of Rp. 13,982 per kg or 0.13 percent below HET of Rp. 14,000 per kg. However, medium rice in Zone 3 has an average of Rp. 15,614 per kg or 0.74 percent above HET of Rp. 15,500 per kg.