Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Queue please!

Very recently, we saw some queue drama. People get in line for having cheap rice from market operations (MOs) held by BULOG. The rice price climbed to more than Rp 5000 after flooding inundated Jabotabek area several weeks ago. This is not the end of the story, hundred hectares of new planted paddy field area were also flooded hence the farmers need to replant with a new seed, another costs for the farmers.

Then rice was suddenly missing from the market, some said that the stock was channeled to Jakarta as a first priority. Well, it happens many times where Jakarta is prevented from instability especially from economic shocks. Hence the government undertakes MOs to stabilize the price. What happened with the price?

The rice price is reluctant to fall even though MOs have been held regularly in many places.

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