Poor switching to corn as rice price skyrockets January 13, 2007
Thousands of poor people in the remote, hilly region of Banyumas in Central Java are switching to corn as their staple food as rice becomes increasingly expensive.
Meanwhile the local regent claims he can do nothing about the increase.
Dariwen, a Limpakuwus resident, said Thursday rice was now selling for up to Rp 5,500 (57 U.S. cents) a kilogram up from only Rp 3,500 a kg previously.
Prices are high in the region because of last year's long drought.
"We cannot afford to buy (rice) because we don't have enough money. My husband is just an agricultural worker. Sometimes he gets work, sometimes not," she said.
Dariwen said she was supplementing the families' corn diet with cassava leaves she had harvested from her backyard.
"Eating rice is already a luxury, let alone adding to it with eggs or salted fish," she said.
Her husband earns around Rp 10,000 a day.
"Fortunately we still have corn stocks from earlier harvests. These will be consumed if we don't have any income," she said.
Warsono, the head of the Limpakuwus administration, said villagers were used to switching to corn in times of hardship.
However, he was concerned families could not afford side dishes.
While Banyumas Regent Aris Setiono admitted rice prices had sharply increased, he said the regency would not intervene unless the prices jumped by a minimum 25 percent over a short period of time. The regency could do nothing about gradual increases, he said.
"We will soon coordinate with our economics department to launch a market operation as soon as we detect a price increase of 25 percent," Aris said.
Residents are also eating dried leftover rice they have recycled from previous meals.-- JP/Agus Maryono
