Grocery Stores Deny Rice Scarcity: Stocks Have Remained Stable for 14 Years

Issues regarding rice scarcity have recently emerged within the community. However, conditions at the grocery store level in East Jakarta indicate that rice supplies are still available and traders are not facing difficulties in obtaining goods.

Traders are still able to procure rice from agents and distributors near their business locations. The stock available in these shops continues to flow to meet the daily needs of customers.

“Since we started selling at Rp12,000, rice has never been scarce. Since this shop opened, there has never been a rice shortage,” said Sodiq, a grocery trader in East Jakarta, to CNBC Indonesia on Monday (28/09/26).

The shop has been in operation for approximately 14 years. Throughout the business’s history, the most frequent changes felt have been in pricing rather than availability.

“The only thing is the price increases. For about 14 years since this shop was established, rice has never been scarce,” Sodiq added.

Traders also maintain access to supplies whenever additional stock is required. This situation ensures that buying and selling activities continue without significant disruption due to stock shortages.

“The supply is always there; it never runs out. Usually, when we request it from distributors, it is always available,” said Ardi, another grocery trader in East Jakarta.

Price changes do occur from time to time. Increases were even felt in the price of rice sold in sacks, even though the goods remain available for purchase.

For Pandan Wangi Cianjur rice, the price per sack, which was previously below Rp800,000, recently rose to approximately Rp800,000. Traders subsequently adjusted retail prices to follow the price developments from suppliers.

“Pandan Wangi Cianjur rice per sack was previously below Rp800,000, but yesterday it rose to Rp800,000,” said Ardi.