The Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs expects that the national rice price can decline by 0.15 percent after the realization of rice aid distribution has reached 605 thousand tons as per June 23, 2023.
Rice aid is one of the government’s efforts to secure the rice price at the consumer level and maintain the inflation rate executed in three stages for three months to 21.3 million Benefit Recipient Families (KPMs), the ministry’s official, Musdhalifah Machmud, stated.
The first stage of distribution commenced since March 2023, and each KPM will receive 10 kilograms of rice thrice, she noted during the inauguration of the National Simultaneous Cheap Food Movement here on Monday.
Machmud explained that food commodities contribute to the inflation rate, so their availability and price should be controlled.
In May, it was recorded that red onion, chicken, and rice each contributed 0.03 percent. Meanwhile, fresh fish, eggs, broiler chicken, garlic, and cayenne pepper each contribute 0.02 percent, while tomatoes contributed 0.01 percent to the inflation rate.
Meanwhile, the commodity that contributes the most to the inflation rate is red chili pepper, at 0.04 percent.
“In May, the general monthly inflation reached 0.09 percent, primarily driven by the changing price components recorded to contribute 0.09 percent and experienced 0.49 percent (mtm) inflation or 3.28 percent annually,” she remarked.
Machmud underlined that in order to meet the people’s demand for cheap foods, the government has to encourage domestic farmers to produce food efficiently and affordably.—Antara
