Pandemic COVID-19, The Minister Of Trade Ensures Safe Food Supplies Needs

Minister of Trade, Agus Suparmanto. (Photo: Twitter @A_Suparmanto)

JAKARTA - The Minister of Trade, Agus Suparmanto, ensured that in a situation where the corona virus or COVID-19 broke out, food stocks were sufficient. Meanwhile, for food commodities whose prices are soaring, the government is currently increasing supply to reduce prices.

Agus explained, for rice supplies are also safe, a total of around 3.5 million tons. This stock will meet the needs until August 2020. According to him, the government is also conducting production to increase the stock inventory of around 22 million tons.

"For corn, the stock is currently around 580 thousand tons and the production is estimated at 13 million tons. 34 thousand tons of garlic will come in. There is an additional RIPH and we will process the SPI," he said, in Jakarta, Friday, March 13.

Meanwhile, for red chilies, the harvest will start from March to May 2020. According to Agus, the stock sugar at the distributor is 150 thousand tons.

Regarding price increases, said Agus, the Ministry of Trade is currently working on sending a task force to check warehouses to avoid hoarding.

"Regarding imports, we prioritize domestic production. There are 216 thousand sugar and now there are 150 thousand in distributors, in April there are an additional 250 thousand tons," he explained.

Regarding beef, said Agus, the current stock is 14 thousand tons and there will be a policy to add 170 thousand tons, especially for buffalo. Then, cooking oil stock reached 8.2 million tons.

Agus said, SPI has issued 2,350 tons for consumption onions and will increase its Horticultural Product Import Recommendation (RIPH) by 14 thousand tons.

"Regarding onions, it has been spent for consumption of 2,350 tons and that will increase RIPH again and will process around 14 tons of onions next week and gradually until this April," he explained.