Rice is an important commodity that needs to be secured, especially since many countries have started to experience drought due to the El Nino impact.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian has asked regional governments to take inflation control measures, especially for rice, whose prices experienced an increase in the fourth week of August 2023.

"Rice is an important commodity that needs to be secured, especially since many countries have started to experience drought due to the El Nino impact," he said.

According to Karnavian here on Monday, at the international level, the policy of withholding rice exports has begun to be implemented.

One of the countries implementing such a policy is India, which has decided not to export rice and prioritize its supply for meeting domestic needs.

Several countries are implementing the policy of using medium-quality rice, which is relatively cheaper, for meeting domestic demand and selling premium-quality rice to other countries.

"The strategy is like that. So (if) we buy premium (rice) but want to subsidize our people, it's hard," the minister explained.

Meanwhile, President Joko Widodo has asked the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) to secure and strengthen rice reserves, especially during the peak of El Nino from August to September.

His government is also targeting to build a safe rice stock of around two million tons from October to December.

"Indeed, Bulog is the one that has been tasked as a food stabilizer, especially rice, by the President," Karnavian confirmed.

According to him, Bulog has conducted interventions using the currently available stocks, such as carrying out cheap market operations and distributing rice from government rice reserves.

The interventions have also included distributing stocks to regions experiencing a deficit.

He sought support from law enforcement officers and supervisors from the Indonesian Military (TNI), the National Police (Polri), and the National Food Agency (Bapanas) in ensuring the smooth distribution of rice.

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Translator: Narda Margaretha, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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