Solo sticky rice shortage lifts prices by up to 50% as small businesses seek imports
White and black glutinous rice supplies are scarce at Solo’s Pasar Legi, with prices rising by about 30%-50%, according to local small businesses. Producers of traditional foods are reducing output or temporarily closing, while government officials maintain that national stocks remain stable.
Processors report scarce supplies and rising prices
Micro, small and medium-sized food businesses in Solo, Central Java, are calling for government intervention after a shortage of glutinous rice pushed local prices up by about 30%-50%. Tribunnews reported that supplies of both white and black glutinous rice at Pasar Legi were very limited, making it difficult for traditional-food producers to secure their main raw material.
The businesses raised their concerns at a press conference in Solo on Friday, July 24, 2026. Their representative, Fadhil Ali, asked the Coordinating Ministry for Food Affairs and the Ministry of Agriculture to address the shortage and consider allowing imports of glutinous rice again. He also urged the authorities to publish stock data so that official figures could be compared with conditions experienced by buyers in the market.
Official assessment differs from conditions in Solo
The complaints contrast with the Ministry of Agriculture’s assessment that stocks of glutinous rice and broken glutinous rice remain stable and are sufficient to meet domestic demand. Fadhil said businesses in Solo were nevertheless struggling to obtain supplies. The difference between the national assessment and reported availability at Pasar Legi has placed transparency over inventories and distribution at the center of the dispute.
Glutinous rice, also known in Indonesia as beras pulut, is a specialty variety of rice, Oryza sativa var. glutinosa. Its sticky texture after cooking makes it distinct from ordinary rice and essential to a range of traditional foods. Tribunnews identified lemper, wajik, dodol and black sticky rice porridge among the products that rely on it.
Traditional-food businesses cut production
According to the Solo business representatives, the shortage is already affecting makers of Jenang Solo, Lapis Legit, Lemper and Gethuk. Many producers have reduced production, while some have temporarily stopped operating. For these businesses, a 30%-50% increase in the cost of a principal ingredient directly limits the volume they can make and sell, particularly when supplies cannot be secured consistently.
The businesses want Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan and the agriculture minister to intervene. Their proposal is to reopen glutinous rice imports to cover market requirements and help adjust prices. No requested import volume, proposed origin country or timetable was disclosed in the source material.
Import decision hinges on stock evidence
The immediate policy question is whether the scarcity is confined to Solo’s distribution channels or reflects a wider shortage. The ministry’s claim of sufficient domestic stocks points toward a local availability problem, while reports of limited white and black glutinous rice at a major Solo market suggest that existing supplies are not reaching some processors in adequate quantities.
Publishing inventory and availability data, as requested by the businesses, could clarify whether import permits are necessary or whether domestic distribution measures would be sufficient. Until supply becomes more reliable, traditional-food producers face continued pressure from higher input costs, reduced production and the possibility of additional temporary closures.
