Denpasar (Antara Bali) - The Bali branch of the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) plans to sell 4,000 tons of subsidized rice to the poor in August at Rp1,600 per kg or about Rp4,000 below the normal market price.
The market operation would target 134,384 poor households in eight districts and one municipality in Bali province, Wayan Suyasa, chief of the Bali Bulog's task force for subsidized rice for the poor, said here on Saturday.
He said the subsidized rice would be sold to the poor at Rp1,600 per kg in early and late August in anticipation of an increase in rice prices ahead of the post-fasting month festivities, locally known as Lebaran.
If the rice prices rose in the leadup to Lebaran, the poor would feel comfortable as one of their basic necessaries had been met, he said.
Earlier, in the January-July 2010 period, Bulog also sold 13,460 tons of subsidized rice to the poor in the province.
Of the amount, 4,586 tons were sold in Buleleng district, 3,439 tons in Karangasem district, and 1,200 tons in Tabanan and Bangli districts each, he said.
To meet demand for subsidized rice for the poor, Bali bought 6,500 tons of rice from South Sulawesi and West Nusa Tenggara provinces, he said.(*)
