Pricing Ultra Rice

During the trials held last year, parents were quick to grasp the significance of Ultra Rice, says Dr Lotfi. Mothers in the Kupang district were well aware that the slightly whiter grains of what they called Beras VitA (beras is the Indonesian word for rice; vitA means both life and vitamin A), held benefits for their children-and said they were willing to pay a small premium for it. However, to gain acceptance, Ultra Rice cannot cost much more than regular rice, especially in Indonesia where the government controls prices of this staple. And the children who most need this product tend to be in families that are least able to pay more.

“Price is very important,” says Dr Lotfi. “In Indonesia, rice is not just a commodity, it’s important politically. You can’t tamper with it, because the whole nation lives on rice.”