Rice stocks stable at 200,000 tons

JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta Logistics Agency has about 200,000 tons of rice which is enough to meet the city's demands during the Christmas and Idul Fitri holidays, an official said.

Ardiansyah, head of the agency, told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday that maintaining rice stocks was necessary to help stabilize the staple food's prices.

"When supply is enough, prices are normal," he said. "But if the stocks are limited, the prices will escalate."

One of the agency's programs aimed at stabilizing prices involves planned releases of rice to the markets, conducted in conjunction with the city public order office and Jakarta's Economic Development Agency (Binekda).

The rice stocks include high- and medium-grade rice. High- grade rice includes the Rojolele, Cianjur Slip, Cisadane and Pandan Wangi varieties, while the medium grades consist of a mixture of grades.

Binekda's head Sanjoyo said rice prices have risen by an average of 5.5 percent due mainly to price increases by wholesalers at the Cipinang market in East Jakarta.

The price of Cisadane rice, for example, has increased by Rp 200 (U.S. 6 cents) per kilogram from last week's price of Rp 1,375. Despite the increases, the prices were still at a tolerable level, he said.

Prices of other basic needs have also increased over the last few days, including cooking oil from Rp 1,600 to 1,800 per kilogram, onions from Rp 900 to Rp 1,400, garlic from Rp 5,075 to Rp 5,550 and red chili from Rp 4,600 to Rp 4,875, he said. (07)