REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The prices of rice in Jakarta, especially at the Mayestik and Kebayoran Lama markets, have started declining by an average Rp200 per kilogram, according to traders.

"The price of rice here started to go down since yesterday (Sunday, March 1)," Fauzi, a trader at the Mayestik market, said here on Monday.

Based on Antara's observation, the rice types whose prices began to decline at the Mayestik market included the IR I type (64), which declined by Rp200 per kilogram from Rp10,000 to Rp9,800 per kilogram; IR II (64) that fell from Rp9,500 to Rp9,000 per kilogram; and IR III (64) that dropped from Rp9,000 to Rp8,800 per kilogram.

"Although the price fall is small, I hope it would continue until it reaches the normal level and consumers are not burdened anymore," Fauzi added.

He noted that the price had possibly gone down due to a decrease in the price of rice at the Cipinang wholesale rice market.

"Market operations conducted by state-owned logistics board Bulog must have possibly played a role in bringing down the price," he added.

The same also happened at the Kebayoran Lama market in South Jakarta where the prices of rice begun to go down since Sunday. The average decrease in the price of rice here is some Rp200 per kilogram.

"The average decrease is not too big, it is only Rp200 per kilogram," remarked Johan, another trader at the Kabayoran Lama market.

The types of rice that saw a fall in their prices included IR I type (64) whose price dropped from Rp9,000 to Rp9,600 per kilogram.

The price of IR II (64) rice dropped from Rp9,400 to Rp9,200 and of IR III (64) declined from Rp9,000 to Rp8,800.

President Jokowi earlier inspected the rice warehouses of Bulog in Kelapang Gading, North Jakarta, where he launched the rice for the poor (Raskin) program and some market operations.

The country has 1.4 million tons of rice stock, which will be adequate until March-April when harvest season starts, the President revealed on the occasion.

"You should not think we are short of rice stocks. We will always have enough stocks and we will release it no matter how much will be the requirement," he remarked on Wednesday (Feb 25).

The President also promised to conduct market operations and distribute some 300 thousand tons of rice in the market.

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