JAKARTA. The Trade Ministry says the prices of rice and chilies have dropped steadily, thanks to its food import policy.
On average, the average price of rice dropped from Rp 7,376 (US$0.8) per kilogram in January to Rp 7,279 per kg in early March. The price of red hot chilies also decreased from Rp 74,935 per kg to Rp 72,000 per kg, ministry data shows.
The decrease was a result of the government’s import policy, kompas.com reported Tuesday. During the 2010-2011 period, as of March 2, the government has imported 1.26 million tons, less than the target of 1.898 million tons.
This year the government had also imported 15,000 tons chilies.
In January, according to Statistic Central Bureau, the government imported 17.25 million kgs of shallots, rocketing by 264 percent compared to the previous month. (The Jakarta Post)
