Indonesia strives to stabilise domestic rice prices
Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Darmin Nasution has called on the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) to distribute imported rice that is currently stored at its warehouses to push rice prices down.
Workers unload Vietnamese rice at Tenau Port in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara (Source://www.thejakartapost.com)
Jakarta (VNA) –Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Darmin Nasution hascalled on the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) to distribute imported rice thatis currently stored at its warehouses to push rice prices down.
Earlier, Bulog planned todistribute 400,000 tonnes of subsidised rice in March in an effort to stabiliserice prices.
Besides, an additional150,000 tonnes of rice will be brought to the market this month in stead ofnext month as originally scheduled.
Darmin said the move wascrucial because the harvest season would reach its peak in April, when riceprices are expected to increase.
In January, the IndonesianGovernment decided to import 500,000 tonnes of rice due to increasing prices inthe market. By doing so, it aimed to stabilise prices and provide Bulogwith sufficient stock of the commodity.
However, Bulog procurementdirector Andrianto Wahyu Adi said later that the agency was only able to import346,000 tonnes of rice, equivalent to almost 70 percent of the planned amount,due to time constraints.
Darmin stressed the needto do everything to push rice prices down prior to the start of the fastingmonth, which will last from May 15 to June 15 this year.-VNA
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Workers unload Vietnamese rice at Tenau Port in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara (Source://www.thejakartapost.com) 
