REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) expects rice prices on the market to fall ahead of the harvest in the next month.
“The harvest in the next month will happen so I guess the price will drop a lot,” Jokowi told reporters before his departure for a state visit to Australia from Lanud Halim Perdanakusuma, Jakarta, Monday (4/3/2024).
Jokowi said the national rice stock is sufficient especially to welcome Ramadan and the 2024 Eid al-Fitr holiday.
“This is for Lebaran. Already the preparations regarding the availability, mainly the basic ingredients have become very important. Rice I think there is no problem with the stock and the other ingredients will be looked at in detail on the field,” he said.
When asked about the rice prices complained of still being high by the public, the President asked the public to check directly the price of rice at Cipinang Rice Master Market or in Johar Karawang Market, which he said had dropped.
“Just ask, please (people) flock to Cipinang Rice Master Market and to Johar Karawang rice market, seeing that the field has gone down—but it does not represent prices across the country. Try to check directly and do not ask me, although I know that every day the price goes up and down I know,” Jokowi said.
Earlier, the Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) said that the national rice production potential from the major harvest that will take place in March-April 2024 is predicted to reach 8.46 million tons.
“Referring to the results of the observation of the Framework Sample Area or KSA of the Central Statistical Agency, the national rice production potential from the main harvest that took place in the two months of March to April reached 8.46 million tons,” said Director General of Food Crops Kementan Suwandi in a statement in Jakarta, Saturday (2/3/2024).
Suwandi said that the domestic rice supply until Ramadan 1445 Hijri is ensured to be safe because some areas have entered the high harvest season until May 2024.
“Early rice production in 2024 is sufficient for national needs. BPS has released data on its March-April rice production forecast of 8.46 million tonnes. The total production of this rice is quite large, capable of satisfying national needs,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, President Director of Perum Bulog Bayu Krisnamurthi stated that the price of premium rice in the market began to gradually stabilize ahead of the National Religious Great Day (HKBN) of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr 1445 Hijri.
“People don't have to worry now that the price (of rice) is starting to be normal and stable. The price of premium rice, which yesterday broke through Rp 17 thousand, is now gradually starting to fall and return to prices in the range of Rp 14 thousand. Likewise, medium-priced rice is starting to stabilize,” Bayu said in Jakarta, last week.
Bayu appealed to the public not to worry about rising prices and rice stocks. Currently, prices have started to stabilize and normalize again because the rice supply in the Johar Karawang Parent Market began to come in from Central Java, which began the harvest.
Bayu explained that fluctuations in rice prices that sometimes rise and then return to normal, this is actually already an annual cycle. If examined, it also happened in the middle of last year.
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