Bapanas Says Food Prices Stable during Eid Holidays

The National Food Agency (Bapanas) stated that food stocks and prices during Eid al-Fitr 2023 holidays were stable and under control.

IDXChannel - The National Food Agency (Bapanas) stated that food stocks and prices during Eid al-Fitr 2023 holidays were stable and under control. 

According to the Head of the Babanas, Arief Prasetyo, prices of food such as chilies and onions, moderately increased ahead of Eid al-Fitr holidays due to rising demands.

In order to stabilize food supplies and measures, he ensured that existing meausres would continue to be intensified after Eid holidays.

"We will continue to make efforts to stabilize food supplies and prices,” said Arief in a statement on Wednesday (26/4/2023).

"We also ask Bulog to continue distributing SPHP (food supply and price stabilization) rice to modern and traditional retailers, and simultaneously encourage Bulog to absorb more grain/rice from domestic sources," he added.

Regarding the implementation of the Cheap Market Movement (GPM) program, Arief reported, up to this year's Eid Al-Fitr period, Bapanas had held around 452 GPM events both at the provincial and district/city levels.

As for the distribution of SPHP rice, from January 2023 to the third week of April 2023, Bulog through its 26 Regional Offices has distributed around 569 thousand tons of SPHP rice.

"Strengthening national food  resilience is a collective and comprehensive task. For this reason, after this, apart from maintaining stocks and prices and ensuring food safety, we will also continue to build regulations, systems and collaborations to reduce food insecurity,” Arief concluded.

(WHY)