The market operations are a follow-up of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono`s instruction recently to related ministers to ensure food stability and basic commodity prices across the country during the fasting month and up to Lebaran festivity.
Coordinating Minister for Economy Hatta Rajasa said recently that to ensure timely and well-targeted rice distribution for poor people, the president also called for market operations in regions where food prices show a rising tendency.
Therefore Agriculture Minister Suswono said that with the rice stock of 1.4 million tons, Bulog was ready to conduct market operation no matter how much the rice demand in the regions.
"The regions with fluctuating rice prices can ask Bulog to conduct market operation there," Suswono said here on Tuesday.
He also mentioned that with an increase in rice production by 2.4 percent of forecast figures in the second semester, there would be rice surplus of around 4.5 million to 5 million tons.
"This trend usually increases compared to the forecast figure, and thus there is no problem in the production side," Suswono said, adding that rice stock at Cipinang wholesale market was around 2,500 to 3,000 tons per day without supply constraints.
The minister also admitted that there were fluctuating rice prices in the past few days but it was still at normal level.
"It is a routine ahead of Ramadan fasting month but there is no point getting into panic about it because the rice is available," Suswono said.
Therefore Bulog will conduct rice market operations in various regions, among others Medan in North Sumatra, Padang in West Sumatra, Ambon in Maluku, and Mataram in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB).
In Medan, North Sumatra branch of Bulong has distributed 65 tons of rice through market operations at five traditional markets in Medan, North Sumatra, Bulog spokesman Rusli said in Medan on Tuesday.
Rusli said the market operations were part of efforts to stabilize fluctuating rice prices in Medan and offer the public rice at a price lower than in the free market.
"The IR-64 type of rice from Bulog was sold at the markets of Pasar Petisah, Pusat Pasar, Sukaramai, Aksara, and Palapa Brayan in Medan at the highest retail price of Rp6,700 per kg during the market operation that started on Tuesday," Rusli said.
Rusli made the statement after an unscheduled inspection of North Sumatra provincial government officials to a number of markets and plazas to obtain first hand information about price development of various commodities on the second day of Ramadhan fasting month.
He said the market operation was carried out with 17,500 tons of rice respectively at Pusat Pasar and Palapa, and respectively 10 tons at three other markets namely Petisah, Sukaramai, and Aksara.
Rusli then called on the people to make use of market operation which was conducted at the request of Medan city administration because the selling price was much cheaper than the market price.
The traders were also asked not to sell the rice at the price over the highest retail price because they have previously had a profit of about Rp2,500 per kg considering the price of ransom to Bulog was Rp6,450 per kg.
Meanwhile, the Bulog of West Sumatra branch will also conduct market operations during the Ramadan fasting month to stop or reverse an upward trend in local rice prices.
"We will soon conduct market operations to overcome local rice price fluctuations," Rizal Effendi, head of Bulog`s West Sumatra branch office, said in Padang on Tuesday.
He said the market operations would be conducted to help the local people get rice at affordable prices during the Ramadan fasting month.
"We are ready to conduct market operations anytime during the fasting month when rice prices in the market become unstable," Rizal said.
He added that traders at a number of traditional markets in Padang city were selling rice for around Rp10,000 per kg.
"Based on a report we received, rice prices in several traditional markets are still normal, and the market operations will be conducted if rice prices rise by more than exceed 25 percent," he said.
"Rice prices at present tend to fluctuate, if the district and city governments want a pure market operation, we will do it as soon as possible," Rizal added.
In addition, Bulog in Maluku province will also support the local industry and trade department to conduct market operation from August 9-15, 2011.
Ramli Hasan, head of Bulog`s Maluku branch office said in Ambon early this week that his office would sell rice at a cheaper price namely Rp6,500 per kg at several markets in the city.
Ramly said he has made a coordination with Maluku industry and trade department to make the market operation, to be opened by Governor Karel Albert Ralahalu, a success.
According to him, a number of rice distributors have agreed to support the market operation which is regularly conducted every year in the run up Lebaran and Chistmas festivity.
"We will continue to monitor the rice stocks and prices during the fasting month and therefore the people should not worry about it," Ramly said.
Meanwhile in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), Bulog has prepared 500 tons of medium quality rice for market operation to control the fluctuating prices in the province.
"The ration of medium quality rice is for market operation in West Nusa Tenggara provincial capital of Mataram," local Bulog spokesman Sutarso said on in Mataram on Wednesday.
He said the objective of rice market operation in Mataram was to
to restrain the rate of increase in rice prices during the fasting month until Lebaran festivity.
(Uu.O001/HAJM)
Reporter: by Otniel Tamindael
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
