Jakarta, Aug. 24 -- Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman conveyed the government's commitment to farmers by raising the government purchase price (HPP) for unhusked rice and taking firm action against the rice mafia.

This step is taken to protect the interests of farmers and consumers, along by maintaining national food stability.

One of the main policies taken by the government is raising the HPP for unhusked rice to Rp6,500 (US$0.39) per kilogram, as a manifestation of the government's support for farmers, as directed by President Prabowo Subianto, Sulaiman noted.

"We care about our farmers. Therefore, we decided to increase the HPP on the orders of the President," the minister conveyed in a statement on Sunday.

He considered...