Rare Premium Rice, DKI Provincial Government Asks Residents Not To Panic Buying

ILLUSTRATION OF DOC BETWEEN

JAKARTA - Rice prices continue to skyrocket. At the same time premium rice is becoming scarce in the market and retail stores. The DKI Provincial Government asks the public not to panic buying or rashly buy large amounts of rice when facing this condition.

"We make sure Jakarta's food stocks are safe so people don't need to panic buying," said Head of the DKI Jakarta Food, Maritime and Agriculture Security Service Suharini Eliawati to reporters, Monday, February 12.

Eli revealed that the scarcity of premium types of rice in minimarkets that the public has complained about in the last few days is due to the absence of the current harvest season.

"The big harvest is expected to only occur in mid-March 2024, resulting in an imbalance between supply and demand," he said.

In addition, the reduced activity of traders due to the long holiday and the retail period of recharging rice stocks are also the cause of scarcity.

On that basis, the DKI Provincial Government has taken a number of steps to control the scarcity of premium rice stocks. These include maintaining supplies that enter DKI Jakarta, collaborating with business actors, and optimizing the role of PT Food Station Tjipinang Jaya.

Then, carry out regular stock monitoring, prices and quality with the DKI Jakarta Food Task Force. Then, control inflation expectations through cheap food activities and low-cost food movements (GPM) for the general public as well as subsidized food distribution for certain communities.

"Also synergizing with the central government to constrain prices, through the distribution of medium quality SPHP rice to the community at the highest retail price (HET) of IDR 54,500 per bag filled with kilograms in rice shops and modern markets," he explained.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Retail Entrepreneurs Association (Aprindo) said that retailers were forced to sell rice at high prices because they got high prices from producers. Not only rice, other staple commodities such as sugar and cooking oil are also sold above the highest retail price (HET).

Chairman of Aprindo Roy N Mandey said producers had raised the purchase price by 20-35 percent above HET in the past week. This triggers retailers to also increase the selling price.

"In fact, at this time we have no choice and have to buy at a price above HET from local rice producers or suppliers, how could we sell it with HET," Roy said on Sunday, February 11.

The retailer is currently said to have difficulty getting rice supplies for the local premium type of 5 kilograms packaging. This limitation is due to the fact that the harvest period is expected to only occur in mid-March 2024.

In addition, the absence of stagnant rice supply and medium-type food prices (SPHP) imported by the government is also the cause of scarcity and high rice prices.

"This situation and unbalanced condition between supply and demand has resulted in an increase in the HET of rice in the modern retail market and the people's market," said Roy.