Indonesians adapt to soaring rice prices with smaller portions on plates and lower-quality grains

Workers unloading rice from Vietnam in Aceh province on Oct 11. Indonesia is importing 2 million tonnes of rice to cover a shortage. - PHOTO: AFP

JAKARTA: Indonesia is reeling from the spike in rice prices that hit a record high in October, with food stalls and households forced to serve smaller rice portions on plates and buy lower-quality grain.

The medium-grade rice price on Monday reached a record high of 13,910 rupiah (S$1.20) per kilogram, a spike of 20 per cent from January.