Prepare anticipatory measures to face hike in food prices

Bandarlampung, Lampung (ANTARA) - Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan appealed to everyone to prepare anticipatory measures to tackle the risk of an increase in food prices following the El Nino phenomenon. "We also have to prepare for the risk of El Nino that makes the temperature terribly hot. This too can cause increase in food prices," the minister stated in Central Lampung on Thursday. He attributed the hike in prices to the lack of production caused by the dry season in some Asian countries, including Indonesia.

"Sugar, garlic, and now, eggs, the prices of those are increasing. This is what we must anticipate for, as the prices are getting expensive, and the stock is becoming less," he stated.

He also called on people to arrange their consumption patterns properly. "We try to take anticipatory measures, and we also need to arrange (the pattern of consumption), so we will only use as necessary," he noted.

He also drew attention to copious stocks of non-imported food commodities. According to the National Food Agency's data as per April 2023, of the total 30.8 million tons of the national demand for food, there were some 36.6 million tons of food stocks, thereby indicating a surplus of 5.8 million tons of food.

They also recorded 22.6 million tons of corn, exceeding the need of 16.6 million tons; soybeans, at 2.9 million tons, more than the required 2.7 million tons; and shallots, at 1.5 million tons, higher than the need of 1.2 million tons.

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Moreover, there were 776.6 thousand tons of garlic as opposed to the need capped at 669 thousand tons; chilli stocks recorded at 1.3 million tons, exceeding the requirement of 936 thousand tons; cayenne pepper stocks at 1.5 million tons, surpassing the needed 918 thousand tons.

Chicken meat stocks were recorded at 4.1 million tons, exceeding the need of 3.5 million tons; eggs supply at 6.1 million tons, more than the requirement of 5.8 million tons; and sugar, at 4.8 million tons, surpassing the need of 3.4 million tons.