When Will Rice Prices Fall? This is Amran's Answer
The Minister of Agriculture and Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas), Amran Sulument, is confident that rice prices will begin to fall in the near future. The government is currently strengthening market interventions to curb the price increases observed throughout September 2026.
Amran even ensured that a decrease in rice prices could occur as early as this week. He stated that the government has prepared several steps, ranging from market operations and the distribution of Food Supply and Price Stabilisation (SPHP) rice to food assistance programmes.
“It will certainly fall (rice prices this week). Please pray for it. It will certainly fall,” Amran told reporters in Jakarta on Monday (21/9/2026).
In addition to increasing market interventions, the government has also requested Perum Bulog to strengthen supplies to modern retail networks. Amran emphasised that rice availability is currently not an issue, as government stocks remain at a high level.
“Supplies have been sent (to retail). We have instructed Bulog. There is plenty of rice, approximately 5 million tonnes; Bulog’s rice stock is 4.6 million tonnes today. We have rented warehouses for 2 million tonnes. It has been sent. Rice is safe,” he said.
Based on government data up to 18 September 2026, the Government Rice Reserve (CBP) stock was recorded at approximately 4.6 million tonnes.
From the beginning of 2026 until mid-September, around 2.3 million tonnes of the CBP have been distributed through various government programmes. The government is also processing an additional 1 million tonnes of SPHP rice for regions experiencing price and supply pressures.
Meanwhile, rice food assistance is being prepared for approximately 33.4 million people across various regions.
These intervention measures are being implemented while rice prices continue to show an upward trend. According to SP2KP data, the national average price for medium-grade rice reached Rp14,644 per kilogram (kg) up to the third week of September 2026.
This figure represents an increase compared to the August average of Rp14,534 per kg. Consequently, the price of medium-grade rice rose by Rp110 per kg, or 0.76%.
An increase was also observed in premium rice. The average price of premium rice was recorded at Rp16,495 per kg up to the third week of September, up from Rp16,382 per kg in August. The increase reached Rp113 per kg, or 0.69%.
Amran believes that the price increase needs to be re-examined because the current condition of government rice stocks is deemed sufficient. According to him, previous price issues were often linked to minimal stocks, but that situation is not occurring now.
“In the past, if there were no stocks, prices would rise, right? ‘Wow, the minister is wrong, he imported’. Now, there is plenty of rice, so what is the reason? There is no reason. If it is not imports, what else could it be?” he remarked.