COMMODITY PRICES IN MARCH, APRIL DOWN : PRESIDENT

Jakarta, April 22 (ANTARA) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said essential commodity prices in the March-April 2009 period were relatively stable and even on a downward trend.

The president made the statement at a press conference after a limited cabinet meeting to discuss inflation and commodity price developments here on Tuesday.
"We have to be grateful that prices in the March-April period went down so that there was no inflation but deflation. This condition is good because it means people are more able to meet their daily needs," the president said.
He said the government had given continuous attention to developments in the rice price, both standard and cheap rice. "The prices of the two types of rice have come down," th head of state said.
However, he added, the decline in the rice prices was still at a rate above the government's sanctioned price (HPP) so that they were still above farmers' selling prices.
"Thus, farmers do not need to worry about the decline in rice prices," he added.
Quoting a report by the head of State Logistics Agency (Bulog), Mustafa Abubakar, the president said that rice stocks at home were enough for six months with an estimate of 1.97 million tons.
"We have 1.4 million tons of stocks in the January-April period and if this condition can be maintained it is expected that this year our rice stock can reach 3.8 million tons," he added.
He said although there was a delay in the distribution of rice for the poor (Raskin), the government had channeled 20.89 percent of the target in the first quarter.
"About 20.89 percent has been distributed or slightly lower than the target for the first quarter," he said adding that the Bulog chief had promised to smooth the distribution of raskin in the country.
The president also said that the prices of meat and chickens also saw a slight drop while that of cooking oil increased slightly due to the increase in its price in the world market.