REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan ensured supplies of staples, especially rice, were sufficient to meet the needs of Indonesians ahead of Ramadan 1445 Hijri.
“All supplies are sufficient, especially rice,” said Zulhas, familiar greeting Zulkifli Hasan, at the Ministry of Trade, Jakarta, Sunday (4/2/2024).
He made the statement after the launch of the book entitled, “Performance Achievements of the Minister of Commerce 2023: Advancement of Trade with Zulhas” and gymnastics with employees of the Ministry of Commerce.
The former Deputy Chairman of the Assembly said that there was indeed a disruption of domestic supplies. Therefore, he said, Bulog already imported two million tons of rice in 2023, and imported another two million tons in 2024.
“Yesterday Bulog already imported almost 2 million more and this year also more than 2 million (tons),” Zulhas said.
Zulhas asserted that the most important thing is the availability of sufficient staples ahead of the 1445 Hijri Ramadan, despite a number of increases in the price of staples.
On the official website of the National Food Agency, a number of staples are experiencing price increases. In the week, namely 28 January-4 February 2024, the price of premium rice rose by Rp 370 from Rp 15,240 per kilo to Rp 15,610 per kilo, pure beef increased by Rp700 from Rp 134,230 to Rp 134,930, and curly red chili rose by Rp 1,630 from Rp 49,410 per kilo to Rp 51,040.
“Most importantly supplies are sufficient,” Zulhas said.
On Thursday (1/2), the head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas) Arief Prasetyo Adi also assessed the availability of food stocks for February and for Ramadan in March 2024 as sufficient.
Arief said that the Government continues to strive to maintain the adequacy of national food needs in various ways, from accelerating agricultural production, food diversification, to rice food assistance.
The government will also increase the Government Food Reserve (CPP) consisting of 11 staple commodities namely rice, corn, soybeans, onions, chili peppers, poultry meat, eggs, ruminant meat, sugar, fish, and cooking oil.
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