The National Logistics Agency (Bulog) will distribute 400,000 tons of subsidized rice in an attempt to stabilize the price in March.
Of the 400,000 tons, 250,000 tons was taken from the March allocation, while the remaining allocations were in January and February, said Bulog president director Djarot Kusumayakti after meeting with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Friday.
Meanwhile, a further 150,000 tons of rice from the April allocation would be pushed forward to March he said, adding: "The President has allowed us to distribute April’s allocation in March.”
According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) released on Thursday, the price of all qualities of rice had increased in February compared to January.
The price of premium rice increased by 0.31 percent, while the prices of medium and low quality rice increased by 0.37 percent and 1.99 percent respectively.
BPS chairman Suhariyanto said that the price of low quality rice reached Rp 9,987 per kilogram, higher than the government’s price ceiling target.
Economic Coordinating Minister Darmin Nasution said Bulog currently had around 660,000 tons of rice in stock. (bbn)
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