Food supply for holidays sufficient, says official<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta has a sufficient supply of basic
\ncommodities for the upcoming Christmas, New Year's and Idul Fitri
\ncelebrations, a city official said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
"It has become usual that demand for basic commodities
\nincreases by between 10 and 39 percent during the holidays. But
\nour supply will be enough to meet the demand," the head of the
\nlogistics and distribution subdivision of the city's regional
\neconomic bureau, Djodjo Sutardjo, said.<\/p>\n
Data from the bureau shows that as of Nov. 22, the city's
\nlogistics agency had 259,746 tons of rice, 390 tons of sugar and
\n563 tons of soybean.<\/p>\n
"The data does not include the rice supply at Cipinang
\nwholesale rice market in East Jakarta, where 18,000 tons of rice
\nis supplied each day," Djodjo said.<\/p>\n
He said the city administration was coordinating with
\nsuppliers in Makassar, South Sulawesi, and West Java to
\nanticipate an increased demand for basic commodities.<\/p>\n
"We will also establish markets in the city's five mayoralties
\nwhich will sell basic commodities at lower prices, and special
\nmarkets for the poor.<\/p>\n
"So people should not worry about a dearth of basic
\ncommodities during the holidays," he said.<\/p>\n
The bureau's data also shows that Jakarta residents require
\n3,000 tons of rice, 500 tons of cooking oil, 1,000 cows and
\nbuffaloes and 425 tons of eggs each day.<\/p>\n
In addition, 550 tons of fish, 1,300 tons of vegetables, 400
\ntons of fruit, 200,000 coconuts and 1,080 tons of flour are
\nrequired by the city each day.<\/p>\n
Djodjo, however, said that although the supply of basic
\ncommodities was sufficient, the city administration could not
\nguarantee prices would not increase during the holidays.<\/p>\n
"It is normal that prices will rise with the increasing
\ndemand. The price hikes, however, should not be that high...
\nlet's say less than 10 percent," he said.<\/p>\n
It is common in Jakarta for the prices of basic commodities to
\nrise during the holidays. Prices usually begin to climb at the
\nbeginning of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadhan, which falls on
\nDec. 9 this year.<\/p>\n
No plan<\/p>\n
While the city administration prepares for the holidays,
\nactivity at the city's traditional markets has yet to pick up.<\/p>\n
A number of vendors at the markets said the prices of basic
\ncommodities had remained stable during the week.<\/p>\n
"Sugar was the only commodity which saw a significant price
\nincrease of Rp 600 per kilogram.<\/p>\n
"Meanwhile, other commodities have not climbed much; only
\nabout Rp 200 to Rp 500," Sardiwan, a vendor at Jatinegara market
\nin East Jakarta, said.<\/p>\n
Sardiwan said traders did not expect prices to rise
\nsignificantly during the holidays.<\/p>\n
"We have trouble coping with customers who complain about the
\nincreases," he said.<\/p>\n
A trader at Palmerah market in Central Jakarta said he was
\nfrightened by the prospect of violence if the prices of basic
\ncommodities increased.<\/p>\n
"A couple of days ago there was a customer who threatened to
\nburn the market down again if he had to pay more for sugar," he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The city-owned Palmerah market was one of the markets which
\nwere burned down during the May riots last year. (ind)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/food-supply-for-holidays-sufficient-says-official-1447893297",
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