City Has Three Focuses to Anticipate Food Turmoil Ahead of Christmas

The Jakarta Provincial Government is focusing on three things to anticipate food fluctuations ahead of Christmas and New Year celebrations.

Stocks of beef and chicken are very safe

Those three things are stock availability, providing security guarantees, and prices.

Jakarta KPKP Agency Head, Suharini Eliawati said the availability of food stocks in Jakarta in terms of the balance of food ingredients is in a safe condition until March 2023.

Meat Stocks in Jakarta Ahead of Christmas are Safe

"Even if there is a slight difference between stock and demand, it usually occurs for horticultural products such as chili because they can't be held for long," she expressed, Friday (12/16).

Thus far, the stability of food prices in Jakarta ahead of Christmas and New Year can be controlled, except for eggs. Moreover, eggs and chilies do not last long and have not yet entered the peak of the harvest, thus the increase in price and availability must be watched out for.

"Stocks of beef and chicken are very safe and tend to be low. What we need to watch out for now is the type of horticultural food," she stated.

According to her, PT Food Station Tjipinang Jaya (FSTJ) actively cooperates with producing regions to maintain the availability and price stability of rice in Jakarta.

Together with Perum Bulog, the company keeps maintaining rice price stability through the Availability of Supply and Price Stabilization (KPSH) program.

"The National Food Agency through Bulog has worked directly with the Food Station to ensure that the price of medium rice is not more than Rp 8,900/kg," she explained.

Her party was also working with the related regional apparatus organizations (OPD) and the Center for Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BBPOM)/carrying out intensive supervision of food products to ensure they were free from hazardous substances.

"We always work together to take samples of all food ingredients circulating in Jakarta while ensuring that they are safe from harmful ingredients," she explained.

Lately, the Jakarta Government also has several programs to reduce the inflation rate. One of them is through the Subsidized Cheap Food Program for certain 1.1 million people.

This program is routinely held by BUMD engaged in the food sector together with BUMN in all sub-district offices up to the mayor, including in the Jakarta Government's Technical Service Building.

"This year's food prices are relatively stable. All food stocks are safe," she stressed.