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Rice vanishes from shelves amid delayed harvest
The National Food Agency (Bapanas) has pledged to accelerate rice distribution in response to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s order to “flood the market”.
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A customer checks the quality of rice at Cipinang Market in East Jakarta in October 2022. (AFP/M Risyal Hidayat)
T
he Association of Indonesian Retailers (Aprindo) has reported a scarcity of premium-quality rice across the country amid a spike in demand and a delayed harvest season.
The National Food Agency (Bapanas), meanwhile, has said that overall rice stocks are adequate as the government has imported around 500,000 tonnes of rice this year.
Nevertheless, it pledged to accelerate the distribution of rice to traditional and modern markets in compliance with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s order to “flood the market”.
The term “modern markets” is used in Indonesia to refer to supermarkets and mini markets, which typically sell premium-quality rice, as opposed to wet markets that also sell the cheaper, medium-quality rice.
Eliza Mardian, a researcher at the Center of Reform on Economics (CORE), explained that Indonesia was facing a surge in orders for rice at the beginning of this year, as the country approached the fasting month of Ramadan.
The upcoming general election contributed to the increase in demand, as presidential and legislative candidates typically distribute free rice to their supporters.
At the same time, there is a shortage of rice supply because the El Niño weather phenomenon is delaying the harvest season, which, according to Eliza, is expected to occur only in March this year.
