TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo or Jokowi responded to the rice scarcity issue, claiming Bulog rick stock was still adequate in reality.

"This is a mere, for example, a distribution issue due to flooding, such as in Demak," he said on Wednesday.

Rice scarcity occurred in several retail shops. According to the Head of the Indonesian Retail Entrepreneurs Association (Aprindo) Roy N. Mandey, the situation was caused by “the lack of harvest which is expected to enter its season by mid-March 2024.”

The scarcity was exacerbated by the lack of rice distributed under the Food Supply and Price Stabilization (SPHP) program. Meanwhile, the price steadily rose.

The National Food Agency or Bapanas released on Feb. 12 that on average, premium rice was priced at Rp15,750 per kg, a 0.77 percent increase. In a press release received on Tuesday, Bulog rice stock, both medium and premium, is readily available and in stock. "No need to worry," he said.

Jokowi also ordered Bapanas to distribute Bulog rice to markets amid the scarcity. The decision was taken after an internal meeting on Monday at the Presidential Palace.

Bapanas Head Arief Prasetyo said that he and State-Owned-Enterprise Minister Erick Thohir would head to Cipinang Rice Market in East Jakarta to observe the unloading of rice from the port. According to Arief, the rice stock in Cipinang was fairly high at 34,000 tons.

DANIEL A. FAJRI

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