Rare Premium Rice, Food Station Starts Distribution Of 1,000 Tons To Retail In Jabodetabek

Illustration of rice (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - BUMD PT Food Station Tjipinang Jaya has started distributing 1,000 tons of commercial rice to all retailers in the Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi (Jabodetabek) areas today.

President Director of PT Food Station, Pamrihadi Wiraryo said, the distribution of rice was carried out to control the price and stock of premium rice which was starting to become scarce.

"God willing, it will be sent approximately 1,000 tons in stages. The selling price is Rp. 13,900 for the community," said Pamrihadi in his statement, Tuesday, February 13.

Pamrihadi said the rice distributed was mixing from food station reserves with Bulog rice. This food sector BUMD received rice distribution with a total of 50 thousand tons from Bulog.

"We packaged and mixed with local products. There are currently 34,000 tons of FS stock, a minimum of 30,000 tons of stock. So, currently it is above normal," said Pamrihadi.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Indonesian National Food Agency (Bapanas), Arief Prasetyo Adi, said that 50,000 of the 200,000 tons of commercial rice prepared by Bulog were allocated specifically for the DKI Jakarta area.

Arief targets the distribution of commercial rice by the Food Station to modern markets and traditional markets no later than March 31, 2024.

"According to the request from the Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta and the Managing Director of Food Station, 50,000 tons will be given. Later, please prepare a commercial rice to be sent to all modern markets in Jabodetabek," said Arief while reviewing the Cipinang Rice Main Market (PIBC), yesterday.

Arief explained that his party together with the Ministry of SOEs and the President Director of Bulog will ensure that the loading and unloading of rice from the port is directly distributed to the Cipinang Main Market, East Jakarta. This is to anticipate the scarcity of rice in the market.

According to the Regional Sample Framework of the Central Statistics Agency (KAS BPS), Arief explained, a large harvest will occur in March 2024 and it is predicted that the harvest will reach 3.5 million tons.

This shouldn't take long. Bulog's directors have been prepared from which port to come directly. In Cipinang there are a lot of stocks but in modern markets a little. I ask for help from Bulog, Food Station, Aprindo, the rice pangolins and our traders to accelerate the SPHP rice, print it as soon as possible send it to retail," explained Arief.

It is known, rice prices continue to skyrocket. At the same time premium rice is rare 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.

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.