REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, CIREBON -- State Logistics Agency (Bulog) president director, Djarot Kusumayakti, said 500,000 tons of imported rice from Thailand and Vietnam will not be released in the market. He remarked, it will be used to strengthen the government's rice stock.

"The imported rice will not directly release to the markets and only the rice from Bulog operation will be sold at the markets," said Djarot on Wednesday (January 17).

Since early January, Bulog has expanded the range of market operations to calm rice price. There were 1,838 stores at 198 markets in Indonesia that became target of Bulog operation. The rice that used in order to make the price stable was the government's stock rice in Bulog.

According to Djarot, currently government's stock rice remains about 800 thousand tons only. Therefore, the imported rice will be used to increase the stock.

Meanwhile, Bulog commercial director Tri Wahyudi said, in 2015 Bulog has also imported rice. At that time, the imported rice was used to strengthen government's stock rice.

He reiterated that the imported rice would not disturb the absorption of grain and rice farmers. This year, Bulog targets to absorb 2,7 million tons of grain equivalent which include rice for social assistance, commercial rice, and government's stock rice.

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