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Unhusked rice price drops, farmers hit hard
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People’s Consultative Assembly Speaker Zulkifli Hasan (center, front row), House of Representatives Speaker Bambang Soesatyo (second left) and Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman (second right) pose for a photograph after witnessing a rice harvest in Banyuasin regency, South Sumatra on Jan. 29. (tribunnews.com/File)
W
hile the government is importing rice to help bring down the price, harvest season has begun and farmers have been hit hard by the lower price of unhusked rice.
People’s Consultative Assembly Speaker Zulkifli Hasan, House of Representatives Speaker Bambang Soesatyo and Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman have expressed concern about the drop in price.
Zulkifli, who witnessed a rice harvest in Banyuasin regency, South Sumatra, on Monday, noted that the price of unhusked rice in the area had dropped to Rp 4,200 (31 US cents) per kilogram from Rp 5,500 per kg a few days ago. It means each farmer earns Rp 1,300 less for each kilogram of rice sold, he said.
“While we are waiting for harvests in the coming days, the unhusked rice price has dropped,” he said as reported by tribunnews.com.
The government announced that it would import 500,000 tons of rice to ease prices, which had exceeded the price ceiling, particularly in urban areas. The imported rice will arrive in coming weeks.
“We want to talk to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. We reject rice imports after learning from the field,” he added.
Meanwhile, Amran said that the price of unhusked rice in East and Central Java had decreased Rp 300 to Rp 700 per kg. Therefore, he called on the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) to buy 600,000 tons from farmers instead of the usual 150,000 tons. (bbn)
