The central market will make it easier for farmers to trade, and for South Sulawesi to determine whether the (supply) can be sold out or keep it for their own need.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has welcomed the local government's plan to build a central market for rice in South Sulawesi as it can be used to control staple food supply.

"The central market will control and ease the supplies of rice and money circulation," he said after reviewing rice stocks at a warehouse owned by state-owned logistics company Bulog in Maros, South Sulawesi, on Thursday.

The central rice market there will be like the one in Cipinang, Jakarta, which decides how much the stock should be per month, he added.

According to him, the existence of a central market in South Sulawesi will make it easier for the region to control the availability of rice. In addition, the market will help farmers to sell their agricultural products.

"The central market will make it easier for farmers to trade, and for South Sulawesi to determine whether the (supply) can be sold out or keep it for their own need," he explained.

Rice supply absorption by Bulog in South Sulawesi this year so far has dropped drastically compared to 2022.

The decline has been due to an increase in rice exports to other provinces, according to Widodo.

"There has been a fairly drastic decline. Usually, in March (rice supply absorption) can be up to 40 thousand to 50 thousand (tons), this time, in the same month, it only reached 6 thousand tons," the President noted.

Meanwhile, the government is targeting to bring the absorption of government rice reserves (CBP) by Bulog to 2.4 million tons nationally this year.

Widodo said that the government will keep ensuring the availability of rice in all provinces.

"We expect rice stocks in all provinces to be in normal conditions," he added.During his inspection of rice supply in Maros, Widodo was accompanied by several ministers, the president director of Bulog, Budi Waseso, the governor of South Sulawesi, Andi Sudirman Sulaiman, and Maros district head Chaidir Syam.


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Translator: Indra P, Kenzu
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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