TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Food Agency (Bapanas) head Arief Prasetyo Adi said the government planned to import 22,500 tons of rice from Cambodia to meet the needs ahead of Eid al-Fitr 1445 Hijri apart from relying on domestic production.

“We prioritize domestic production. For Bulog current's availability, it is procured from abroad, from Cambodia, totaling 22,500 (tons),” he said after attending a meeting chaired by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, on Monday, March 18.

According to him, Bapanas is preparing for the rice harvest in March-April 2024 to support the availability of rice stocks.

He was optimistic that the correction in the price of unhusked rice from Rp8,000 to Rp6,700 per kilogram would result in a decline in the price of rice as long as production was on schedule.

He also believed that the government would be able to meet the public's needs ahead of Eid, including through the distribution of food aid. “About 22 million poor families have received rice assistance of 10 kilograms. Last year, it was given for seven months and this year for six months,” Arief remarked.

The food assistance, he claimed, had indirectly met the needs of eight percent of Indonesia's total population. “There is also a food bazaar at cheap prices. Pak Tito (Minister of Home Affairs) and all regional governments are running it,” Arief added.

Arief further confirmed that rice stocks in Bulog will continue to be monitored to remain at 1.2 million tons until June 2024.

ANTARA

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