Rice price to increase by 3.4 percent: Govt

The government said Wednesday that the rice price may rise by 3.4 percent during the Ramadan fasting month.

"East Java has started to harvest their paddy, which will add the rice stock. I think there will a 3.4 percent price increase," State Enterprises Minister Mustafa Abubakar said as quoted by kompas.com.

He said that people had expected the price hike as it happened every Ramadan.

The government would also speed up the distribution of rice for the poor to anticipate any problems should the rice price increase.