"Thank God, up to now (food distribution) has not been disrupted by the flooding in Bekasi," he told ANTARA here on Wednesday.
According to Adi, the flooding in Bekasi has not affected the supply of strategic food for markets in Jakarta, such as Johar Baru Market in Central Jakarta.
"Looking at Pasar Johar, the supply there is safe, and the prices are also reasonable. In fact, that is the second-tier market," he said.
He informed that based on his review of the market with Coordinating Minister for Food, Zulkifli Hasan, and Minister of Trade, Budi Santoso, food prices are still relatively in conformance with the highest retail prices (HET) set by the government.
He said that the prices of several food commodities at Pasar Johar are relatively stable, including the government-subsidized cooking oil brand MinyaKita at Rp16 thousand per liter and chicken eggs at Rp30 thousand per kilogram.
He expressed the hope that the flooding in Bekasi would not lead to a spike in food prices.
However, he noted that certain food commodities have experienced a significant price increase, for instance, red chili is selling for up to Rp120 thousand per kg.
He emphasized that the increase in the price of chili in the market is not due to the flooding but rather production disruptions caused by rains.
"Chili flowers fall off when it rains, hence, they cannot bear fruit," he explained.
He then assured that his agency will be proactive in distributing food aid, such as rice, to communities affected by the flooding in Jakarta and Bekasi.
Related news: Widespread flooding paralyzes public activities: Bekasi Mayor
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Translator: Harianto，Kenzu
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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