TPID Jatim: Rice, Corn, Chili, Onion and Soybean Surplus

SURABAYA -The East Java Inflation Control Team (TPID) noted that some food commodities in the local area are still experiencing surplus or excess stock, so as to ensure food stocks in Lebaran 2018 until the next few months are safe.

“Food commodity stocks in East Java are safe up to several months ahead,” said Head of Adwsory Group and Economic Development of Bank Indonesia Office of East Java Province, Harmanta in Surabaya on Thursday.

Therefore, Harmanta asks the public not to worry about the shortage of staple food commodity stock at Lebaran 2018 until several months ahead.

Appropriate data from the Agriculture Office, he mentioned a number of food commodities that experienced a surplus, among others, rice with estimated production during January-April 2018 which reached 3,881,110 tons.

Total production, with a record requirement for 4 months of 1,188,972 tons, resulting in a surplus of 2,692,138 tons or sufficient for the needs of 9 months into the future.

“The figure is expected to continue to grow as the new grain harvest season ends in April,” he said.

In addition, corn also experienced the same thing with 1,710,909 tons of dry kiln production and four months consumption requirement of 40,908 tons, resulting in a surplus of 1,670,001 tons.

Then, onion with the need for four months of 35,960 tons and an estimated production of 113,584 tons, will record a surplus of 77,625 tons, or enough for the next 8.6 months.

Furthermore, for red pepper with consumption requirement of 15,636 tons and total production of next four months for about 40,145 tons, it will record a surplus of 24,510 tons.

The need for large red pepper for four months totaling 14,044 tons will be covered with production of 19,239 tons, resulting in a surplus of 5,195 tons, plus garlic and soybeans that are also experiencing the same thing.

“People do not have to worry, because we and the government have imported these two commodities in order to meet the needs of the community, so that both stocks are also safe,” he said.

Although certainly safe, Harmanta realized that the price of a number of commodities observed increased in line with the increase in demand ahead of Ramadan.

However, he said, the increase is still within reasonable limits and even some of them are beginning to show a downward trend, such as the eggs of races that have been rising for some time now, are now beginning to decline.

“Based on our records, nearing the middle of Ramadan the price of chicken eggs is expected to decline,” said Harmanta.