JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo said the government continues to look for the cause of rice prices still creeping up even though they have entered the main harvest time.
"We see that we still have a big harvest, the logic is that there is a large supply of big harvests, the price should have dropped, now this is why not? We are just looking for this [know]," said Jokowi after attending the inauguration of the opening of the 2023 Domestic Products "Business Matching" in Jakarta, Wednesday, March 15, which was confiscated by Antara.
Based on data from the Market Monitoring System and Basic Needs of the Ministry of Trade, the national average price of medium rice reached Rp11,800 per kilogram (kg) on Tuesday, March 14. Meanwhile, the national average price of premium rice reached Rp13,700 per kg or the highest record for the last five years.
"This is what the farmers like, but the consumers will definitely scream. I think that balance is what we want to maintain," added the President.
President Jokowi acknowledged that it was difficult to balance prices so that the grain in farmers was good and reasonable.
"The price of rice in traders is good and reasonable and the price of rice to consumers is good and reasonable, which is difficult there," said the President.
If you just want to lower the price of rice, President Jokowi said, the easy way is to import rice.
"If you want to lower the price of rice very easily, imports as much as possible towards the market, the price will definitely go down, but what we are doing now maintains that balance. If you look at the supply is lacking, causing permanent high prices, yes, imports will definitely enter," added the President.
It is known that the National Food Agency (Bapanas) revoked Circular Letter Number 47/TS.03.03/K/02/2023 concerning Upper Limit Prices for Purchase of Grain or Rice to maintain the competitiveness of farmers.
The reason for the withdrawal of the circular was because it paid attention to the development of rice production and the smooth supply of grain from farmers to rice mills.
In Circular Number R 60/TS.03.03/K/03/2023 which was revoked, it contained an appeal from the Head of Badanas Arief Prasetyo so that the milling business actors keep the purchase price of grain or rice reasonable.
Previously on February 20, 2023, Bapanas issued a circular stating that the purchase price of grain and rice ahead of the rice harvest period in March 2023, rose by around 8-9 percent taking into account the increase in production principal prices.
The upper limit for the purchase of unhulled rice or rice previously stated in the SE is the Harvest Dry Grain (GKP) at the farmer level of Rp. 4,550 per kg and GKP at the milling level of Rp. 4,650 per kg.
Meanwhile, milling Dry Grain (GKG) at the milling level is IDR 5,700 per kg and the price of medium rice at Perum Bulog is IDR 9,000 per kg.
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