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Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung has spoken about the scarcity of premium rice, particularly in minimarkets.

"We are currently addressing the scarcity of rice. There was panic buying, and people started hoarding. I urge for the immediate normalization of the situation," said Pramono at Jakarta City Hall on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, as reported by Antara.

Panic buying refers to the act of purchasing a large quantity of goods out of fear of them running out. Pramono expressed his hope that the scarcity, particularly concerning premium rice, will be resolved soon.

He previously claimed that Jakarta's food stock is secure until October 2025 and has not been impacted by recent protests in the capital. This claim also aimed to counter rumors of a food shortage.

"There were rumors about food shortages. In Jakarta, there is enough food, even until the end of October," Pramono affirmed. "The food supply in Jakarta is abundant."

The Head of the Jakarta Food, Maritime, and Agriculture Security Agency (KPKP), Hasudungan Sidabalok, echoed this message.

He is confident that the stocks of rice and other key foods, such as beef, chicken, and eggs, will remain secure in Jakarta until at least October 2025. He provided a detailed breakdown of current availability: rice stocks are at 303,297 tons, far exceeding the demand of 156,745 tons. The stock of beef is 40,418 tons, surpassing the demand of 11,999 tons.

Similarly, the stock of chicken meat stands at 74,940 tons, while demand is only 30,176 tons. "As for eggs, the demand is 19,525 tons, and the availability is 21,478 tons. So, eggs might expire quickly, meaning they spoil fast," Hasudungan noted, alluding to their perishable nature.

The agency also confirmed that other food items, including red chilies and shallots, have sufficient stocks to meet demand.

Hasudungan further explained that the scarcity of premium rice in some minimarkets has been an ongoing issue, following the revelation of "fake rice" cases since mid-July.

In late July 2025, Tempo received information from a staff member at an Alfamart store in East Jakarta that premium rice from several brands had been removed from shelves since mid-July.

"Brands such as Sania, Topi Koki, Raja, and Food Station (FS) have been pulled," the anonymous staff member revealed. The staff explained that management had decided to remove the rice from all stores to avoid inconveniencing consumers.

At a different Alfamart location, a cashier named Fahri confirmed the reason for the absence of premium rice was the widespread "fake rice" cases. "Mainly, Sania rice is often pulled due to fake rice cases," Fahri stated.

He explained that since the news about fake rice emerged, management instructed employees to remove premium rice from the shelves. As a result, the premium rice section was filled with other products, such as cooking oil, flour, and a different brand of red rice.

Source : tempo