Rice at State Logistic Agency (Bulog) – bulog.co.id
Jakarta, Jubi – The director of Indonesia’s National Logistics Agency (Perum Bulog), Djarot Kusumayakti, said imported rice is intended as a reserve.
“I think it is good, because the rice was initially set for a reserve. It means our country has reserves in facing a situation such as El Nino. It’s secure,” Djarot said in Jakarta on last week.
He expected the medium quality rice from Vietnam could stabilize the price and eliminate profit taking by speculators, moreover its price usually rise approaching the end of the year. “I hope this ready stock could affect the speculators or rice stock holders who expected the price to be increased to release the rice to the market, therefore the price could be pressed down,” he said.
He asserted the imported rice, which get in through several Indonesian seaports was transferred directly to the logistic warehouse, and would not be released to the market for temporarily. Currently, the logistic agency is still relying to the existing rice stocks to control the stability of price in anticipating the sharply price increasing due to limited of stocks. “Today our stocks are sufficient. It means if the price is out of normal, Bulog will intervene the market to control the price and reduce it if necessary,” Djarot said.
Earlier, the Vice President Jusuf Kalla confirmed the government has received the imported rice shipping to some regions in Indonesia to stabilize the food supplies due to El Nino that triggers drought in some places.
According to Bulog data, some regions in Indonesia have received the imported rice for a reserve of stock that start to decrease in some respective regions such as Manado and Merauke. The imported rice is stationed in the areas of rice deficit production and slender food supplies due to the farmers were not able to meet the minimum requirement. (*/rom)
