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Food prices controllable up to March: Trade minister
Trade Minister Enggartiasto "Enggar" Lukita said the food supply was adequate to meet demands until March, making the prices controllable till that period.
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Consumers buy beef at Pasar Minggu in South Jakarta. (JP/Viriya Paramita Singgih)
T
rade Minister Enggartiasto "Enggar" Lukita said the food supply was adequate to meet demands until March, making the prices controllable till that period.
Beef monthly demand is 56,500 tons; sugar is 250,000 tons and rice is 1.73 million tons. The adequate supply comes both from local and foreign producers.
Enggar said so far the import was only open for beef, buffalo meat and sugar.
Some 42,000 tons of buffalo meat has landed in Indonesia from India last year-end and the import permit of 1.5 million tons of raw sugar has been signed for 11 refinery factories here.
(Read also: November inflation on the upswing as food prices soar)
The rice stock from Cipinang central market in Jakarta has exceeded the three-month demand of the capital, he said. "With that, it's safe to say that our stocks and prices are alright until March," Enggar said.
For other staple foods, like chili, shallots and vegetable oil, the ministry together with the Agriculture Ministry and state logistics agency Bulog will continue to carry out market operations, through which they supply fairly priced staples to bring down prices whenever they surge.
The minister said the government managed to control food prices in 2016, which led to inflation reaching a seven-year low at 3.02 percent. Only chili and shallots surged in November and December during bad harvests amid the long rainy season. (bbn)
