REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The government revealed the country had adequate stock of rice this year, with the State Logistic Agency (Bulog) holding 1.7 million tons of supply, sufficient to meet the demand for the next seven months.

Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita remarked the authority had collected accurate data on the rice supply, especially of those held in private warehouses.

"The rice stock, based on our preliminary data, is abundant. It would be more accurate if traders reported their stock position and updated the data regularly," he said.

The Agriculture Ministry has estimated unhusked rice production in 2016 to be 79.1 million tons. The production in 2017 is expected to reach 89 million tons.

Bulog's President Director Djarot Kusumayakti affirmed that currently the agency had 1.7 million tons of rice stock, of which some 1.3 million tons would be allocated for the beneficiaries of the prosperous rice program.

"It means that until the end of the year, if there is no more supply absorption, we will still have 400,000 tons of stock," Djarot revealed.

He added that with the beginning of the second harvesting season, Bulog was expected to take in some 1-1.25 million tons of rice up to the end of the year.

By the end of 2017, the agency would have 1.6 to 1.7 million tons of rice stock.

"If all could run as expected, until peak harvesting season in 2018, we would still have adequate stock," he noted.

The Trade Ministry has required traders to regularly report their stock to improve national rice trade mechanism.

The deadline for traders to register their warehouses, as well as the rice stock, is the end of July.

Meanwhile, Inspector General Setyo Wasisto, head of the Food Task Force, stated the current national rice trade mechanism has yet to cover the concept of proper and suitable profit distribution.

"At the producer or farmers' level, the profits are relatively small, compared with those accrued at the distributor level. Thus, consumers have to pay relatively high prices," Setyo said.

A data of the Central Bureau of Statistic (BPS) showed that the average rice price for premium quality in rice mills in June had reached Rp9,444 per kg, an increase of 0.09 percent compared with the previous month.

The average price for medium quality in rice mills reached Rp8,794 per kg, an increase of 0.05 percent, and for low quality rice price it increased by 0.07 percent at Rp8,380 per kg.

Compared with last year, the commodity's price has increased 0.96 percent for premium quality but declined 1.99 percent for medium quality and 2.35 percent for low quality rice.

Ikuti Whatsapp Channel Republika