Jakarta, March 5 -- Indonesia's agriculture minister warned traders to keep prices of beef, chicken and eggs below government caps, saying supplies are sufficient and authorities will act against stockpiling or manipulation that could push prices higher.

Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said all strategic food commodities must remain below the government's highest retail price to maintain food stability and protect consumers' purchasing power.

"All strategic commodities must remain below the highest retail price," Sulaiman said in a statement confirmed Thursday.

The government has set the highest retail price for broiler chicken meat at 40,000 rupiah (US$2.55) per kilogram, beef at 140,000 rupiah per kilogram, and chicken eggs ...