Rice Prices Rise, Will the Government Increase Imports?

Rice Illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The government will not reopen the import tap even though rice prices continue to climb at this time. This is because the government has opened a tap to import rice as much as 2 million tons.

According to data from the National Food Price Panel, the National Food Agency, the price of premium rice is currently IDR 13,890 per kilogram (kg) or an increase of 0.07 percent. The highest price is in South Kalimantan IDR 17,880 per kg. While the lowest price is in West Nusa Tenggara IDR 12,590 per kg.

Main Director (Director) of the Public Company Logistics Agency (Perum Bulog) Budi Waseso emphasized that there was no additional assignment from the government to import rice.

Buwas, nicknamed Budi Waseso, said that the import assignment that had been given to Bulog from the National Food Agency was only 2 million tons of rice to be realized this year.

"Nope (not added). Anyway, that's our quota that we have to complete. That's enough," said Buwas at the Klender National Housing Market, East Jakarta, Monday, August 28.

Furthermore, Buwas explained that the realization of imports from the assignment was 1.6 million tonnes. The rice will be directly distributed to Bulog warehouses throughout Indonesia.

“Now it doesn't pile up in one place. In the past there were many in Java, for example in Jakarta and East Java. Now send it directly," he explained.

Meanwhile, Head of the National Food Agency Arief Prasetyo Adi said that Bulog had imported 1.6 million tonnes. Then, added last year's carry over of 300,000 tons.

"Meaning that 2.3 million will be added to private commercial rice, specifically 500,000 tons of rice. This means that Bulog's stock is like that. Number one absorption in the country," he said.