Drought and Rice Prices
The government must also be alert to the possibility of increases in rice prices.
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Workers unload sacks of rice from Madiun, East Java, at Kebayoran Lama Market in South Jakarta, Monday (14/10/2019). The government is optimistic that it has sufficient rice stocks to meet demand for the next few months, despite the prolonged drought that has affected rice production this year.
The government is urged to anticipate the impacts of the prolonged dry season on national rice stocks. The government must also be alert to the possibility of increases in rice prices (Kompas, 15/10).
The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) estimates that this year’s dry season will be drier than in 2018. The drought, which has affected most rice production centers, is widespread.