Rice has once again become one of the commodities contributing to\ninflation in September 2026. The Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS)\nrecorded that rice contributed 0.03% to inflation in September 2026.<\/p>\n
Overall, monthly inflation in September 2026 was recorded at 0.30%.\nMeanwhile, year-to-date (ytd) inflation reached 2.17%, and year-on-year\n(yoy) inflation stood at 3.28%.<\/p>\n
BPS Deputy for Distribution and Services Statistics, Ateng Hartono,\nstated that the food, beverage, and tobacco group was one of the main\ncontributors to September\u2019s inflation. In addition to rice, commodities\ndriving inflation included bird\u2019s eye chillies, red chillies, broiler\nchicken, and chicken eggs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe expenditure group driving inflation in September was primarily\nfood and tobacco, with inflation at 0.88% and an inflation contribution\nof 0.26%,\u201d Ateng said during a press conference on Thursday\n(1\/10\/2026).<\/p>\n
Amid rice\u2019s return as an inflation contributor, the President\nDirector of Perum Bulog, Ahmad Rizal Ramdhani, stated that the rice\nprice increase was not too significant. According to him, based on the\ngovernment\u2019s inflation evaluation, the inflation increase from rice was\nonly 0.03%. This condition is occurring as Indonesia enters the lean\nseason, a period when rice production from farmers\u2019 harvests is\ndeclining.<\/p>\n
\u201cRegarding rice, as we have reported, we and all stakeholders, both\nthe government and the private sector, are synergising as much as\npossible to maintain and guarantee the availability of rice. This\nincludes ensuring price stability,\u201d said Rizal when met at the\nCipinology Rice Wholesale Market (PIBC), Jakarta, on Friday\n(2\/10\/2026).<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, we all know that we are currently in the lean season. It is\na non-harvest season, so a small increase is very possible,\u201d he\ncontinued.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, Bulog stated that its rice stocks remain very large.\nCurrently, stocks in Bulog warehouses have reached 4.8 million\ntonnes.<\/p>\n
Rizal said that these stocks would be used to maintain supply and\nsimultaneously suppress rice prices in the community. Bulog is even\npreparing an additional distribution of 1 million tonnes of SPHP rice\nuntil March 2027.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur current stock in the warehouse is 4.8 million tonnes; from that\n4.8 million tonnes, an additional 1 million tonnes of SPHP rice will be\ndistributed until March 2027,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
In addition to SPHP, the government will also distribute 1 million\ntonnes of food assistance in the form of rice during October, November,\nand December 2026.<\/p>\n
Rizal noted that previous food assistance distributions have already\nbegun to impact rice prices. He stated that rice prices at the\ndistributor level had even decreased over the past two weeks.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the last two weeks, there has been a decrease. So, perhaps\nyesterday\u2019s evaluation was based on last month. For this month,\nthankfully, at the end of September and early October, prices have\ndecreased. Hopefully, by next week, there will be a decrease in\ninflation from what was reported earlier,\u201d said Rizal.<\/p>\n
A distributor at the Cipinang Rice Wholesale Market mentioned that\nmedium-grade rice prices dropped by approximately Rp500 per kilogram\n(kg), from Rp14,000 to Rp13,500 per kg. Meanwhile, premium rice prices\ndropped from Rp15,000 to Rp14,500 per kg.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is about Rp500 per kilo. Medium rice was yesterday Rp14,000, now\nit is Rp13,500 (per kg). Premium went from Rp15,000 down to Rp14,500.\nHowever, those prices are at the distributor level, not yet at the\nretailer level,\u201d said the distributor.<\/p>\n
Rizal emphasised that Bulog will continue to push rice prices towards\nthe Maximum Retail Price (HET). Currently, the government has set the\nHET for medium rice at Rp12,500 per kg and premium rice at Rp14,900 per\nkg for Zone I, which includes Java, Lampung, South Sumatra, Bali, NTB,\nand Sulawesi.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe business partners have assured us that prices are decreasing.\nIndeed, business partners want prices to keep rising. Our role is to\nprotect consumers so they can afford it, so we must find ways to bring\nprices down further in accordance with the maximum retail price,\u201d said\nRizal.<\/p>\n
Government Ensures Rice Will Not Pressure Inflation\nAgain<\/strong><\/p>\n The government also ensured that supervision of rice prices and\ndistribution will continue to be tightened to prevent price increases\nfrom exerting pressure on inflation again.<\/p>\n The Secretary of the National Food Agency (Bapanas), Ito Hediarto,\nstated that the contribution of rice to inflation previously recorded by\nBPS was actually relatively small.<\/p>\n \u201cThat 0.03% is very small,\u201d said Ito when met on the same\noccasion.<\/p>\n Ito is optimistic that rice will not exert pressure on inflation\nagain in October.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are sure. We are sure it will not happen again (rice contributing\nto inflation),\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He emphasised that the government will take action against parties\nthat raise rice prices above the HET without justifiable reasons.<\/p>\n \u201cIf there are individuals raising prices above the HET without a\njustifiable reason, we will process them,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>",
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